On the skate park issue; my thoughts are that there should be more outlets for the youth in Ark City!  Weather it be a much better/safer skate park or a youth canteen that ALL youths can attend reguardless of membership, kiddie carnivals during the summer.  The list I've thought of over the years is long so I wouldnt go into all of them.

While I was there I was involved with Parents as Teachers and Reach Preschool and found them to be great people to learn parenting skills from.  I worried at first about enrolling our kids in the public schools there because of my bad experinces with the middle and high school.  Don't get me wrong there are some really great people in Ark City but there were a lot of bad as well.

As for my thoughts on Presidents being admitted drug users.  I personaly favor Hillary Clinton because any women who stands behind a man that had publicly humilited her and used him in return to her own benifit....gets my vote.  Plus I feel that any woman can do a good job in the postion as any man can!  Maybe thats because I was raised to be a self suffient woman.  I dont approve of Presidents that still abuse drugs while in the white house (case in point BUSH Jr.)  I mean lets get real pretty much everyone in the 60's-70's tried weed!  You really can't condem them for doing what everyone has done.  As for cocaine that is a whole diffrent story.  Cocaine is a very hard drug and has a huge relapse chance.

There are so many flaws in the government that only require simple fixes but no one does it.  Theres always going to be finger pointing and no one is willing to accept the responsibilty for their own actions.  The only thing any one can do is treat others the way they want and deserve to be treated. 

some more for you @ http://acflipside.blogspot.com

"any women who stands behind a man that had publicly humilited her"

Is an idiot, and anyone who she cons into believing her and her drivel isn't far behind.

Yeah, getting behind a candidate because she stood by her cheating husband, ONLY because it would hurt them both politically if she left him, is a real DUMB reason to vote for anyone. Do you think that is someone to look up to? I think it's downright pathetic. She is just as crooked as Bill ever was, and that's pretty darn crooked.

Why does no one remember all the scandals surrounding the Clintons over the years? All the money scandals, the pardon at the end of Clinton's last term, or any of the hundreds of others?

Greenpiece said

"As for the store getting vandalized by graffiti, I do have compassion for you as I feel the City is sticking it up your tea cup on that one, for a small group of individuals to choose what is distasteful and unacceptable on private property, is in my opinion an attack on your rights as a property owner."

*************************************************************

The reason to cover up the graffiti right away is to try to put a stop to it.  The vandals tend to come back and add to it if it is left up, or other vandals will attempt to join in.  By covering it (in any fashion) the vandals have nothing to brag about and tend (as proven by experience) to not come back to that area.  Though it must be done quickly before the vandals make a habit of it in that area.

The city is no more responsible for the damage than it would be for a broken window or a burglary.  The police department sometimes has paint donated (though no choice of color) that they can make available to people that have been vandalized.  The police can also do a few more drive bys in a problem neighborhood, though it would be impossible for them to just stay in one neighborhood for any length of time.  It is also important to note that driving by doesn't help much if there are large bushes and darkened areas for the vandals to hide in.  People can do a lot to protect themselves by cleaning up their yards and putting in some kind of lighting.

It doesn't matter how graffiti is covered or removed, the object is to do it quickly so the problem does not continue.  A better job of painting or cleaning up can come later, but the graffiti must be hidden immediately to stop the problem.  I've seen people use a can of 75 cent closeout spray paint to cover it until the job can be done properly.  And it works!  The vandals have not come back.

By the way, what is that odor from Kan-Pak? Is it their sewer system or is it possibly the canal stagnating?

motherof2 wrote:

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By the way, what is that odor from Kan-Pak? Is it their sewer system or is it possibly the canal stagnating?

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It is caused by the pre-treatment of waste byproducts from Kan-Pak.  The treatment system is being built and is at an in between stage.  It might be the middle of April before it is completely finished, but hopes are it will be done before then.  It probably won't be as odorous the whole time, but it should be completely over come April.

Patrick

AC cop: Kidnapping suspect a gang member
By Judy Welch
March 27, 2008 - 2:52:44 pm
The common-law husband of a 28-year-old Arkansas City woman drove her to Wichita against her will Wednesday, beat her up, and threatened to shoot her before she escaped when he stopped at an intersection, Arkansas City Police Capt. Tom Scott said.

Robert Coleman, 26, was arrested and jailed by Wichita police on a domestic violence warrant. Bond on the Wichita case is set at $7,500. The victim's name has not been released for her safety.

Cowley County authorities have a hold on Coleman for kidnapping and battery, and will ask Cowley County Attorney Chris Smith to include a $50,000 bond because Coleman is a gang member, Scott said.

The woman said she was kidnapped about 10:30 a.m. when she and Coleman were in the south part of Ark City traveling to her home in the northern part of town. They began to argue. The argument turned heated and Coleman changed his mind about dropping the woman off at her house, Scott said.

"The suspect drove the victim to Wichita against her will," he said. "Once in Wichita, the suspect stopped at his brother's house. He retrieved a handgun and threatened to shoot the victim. A short time late he decided, for whatever reason, to drive to another location in Wichita."

The victim decided to try to escape when they reached the intersection of Olive and Central. "She jumped out of the car and ran to the nearest convenience store when she notified the Wichita Police Department," Scott said.

An Ark City detective was sent to Wichita to interview the woman, located the suspect, and with the assistance of Wichita police, arrested him.

The criteria for a gang member is established by Kansas law and Coleman meets the following criteria within the law:

1. Coleman was identified as a gang member by one of his parents.

2. He was identified as a gang member by a law enforcement officer, with documentation.

3. Independent information also identified Coleman as a gang member.

4. He resides or frequents an area known to gang members and that includes the fact he has adopted the dress, handsigns, and tattoos of the gang.

"Another criteria would be that he has been arrested more than once in the company of gang members... and has been stopped in custody with known gang members two or more times," Scott said.

Coleman is also believed to have undergone the street gang initiation ritual which often requires a crime to be committed.


Nope.. no gang members here in Ark City.  Must just be kids playing dress up.  Everyone knows our streets are completely safe.

Some of that superficial 100 word-on-a-webpage reporting I was talking about. Need more precise info. See my post on the gang conspiracy page.

Besides, he couldn't possibly be a gang member. He is an American, not one of those Mexican illegal wetback criminals.

You miss the point.

There are gang members and there are "gang members".
The question is if you went to some of these Ark City "surenos", etc and asked them if they were in the gang, they might say yes they are, and they dress-up and throw signs, get tats and steal small change and beer and "beats their b*tches" (in their vernacular) and do everything in their little retarded heads they can think of to be a gang member. Just like they "sees" on TV.

But if you were to go to the real gangs and ask if these street punks are "down and representin da Ark City hood" and are part of their gangs, they would laugh so hard they would wet their pants. (for those who don't get it, the answer is no.)

Folks in Ark City love to pretend, and who am I to say they can't. The lady that sits at the front desk and talks to people as they come in is the "director of public relations", the person that xeroxes a book they wrote and sells it at Graves Drug in a "renowned author", downtown is suffering from "urban blight" (not just 5 building owners who won't fix their windows) and the town is so thick with "bank vice-presidents" that eventually everybody with a degree will have been one.

There is a special cop-out the local law enforcement get when they can say "gang-related". It transfers the responsibility for a crime to an unknowable and unstoppable mysterious external group and throws into the mix the impossibility of it all.

In fact crime is committed by individuals who can be tracked and caught and put in jail. Don't let the local cops off the hook. When a kid paints a graffiti symbol he saw in a skateboarding magazine or the internet on a wall and the cops say it is a gang symbol, then it is obviously "proof" that a crime syndicate has moved into town. When some idiot beats his wife, let's call it a "gang related" crime and raise his bail. Even further "proof" of gang syndicate activity.

Not a kid vandalizing a wall, or an idiot beating his wife. Something much more and very scary and incurable.

I'm hoping the new Police Chief is knowledgeable and experienced enough to not fall into the trap of failing to track down individuals or exaggerating reports because the perps are gangsta wannabes. It is a good question: do we have an Andy or a Barney? Time will tell.

You want to pretend? Then fine, go for it. I understand. Its a lot of fun, like playing cowboys and indians, but at some point, do a reality check in your mind. These punk kids are no more "surenos" than they are Al-Queda or Sicilian mobsters.

Just because it is the only website reporting it, doesn't make it untrue... it just means they actually get out from behind the desk and look for news, instead of waiting for someone to bring them some.

Besides, it had quotes from officers tha they actually interviewed.

Why the bad attitude toward newscow... what did they ever do to you? I think it's a great source of local news. Much better than the Traveler.

Lagonda just likes to be the opposite of any one else! :)

"how you're such an authority?

Been other places and I've seen the real deal.
Don't get me wrong, kid punks can be dangerous, especially if they are ignored. A teenage tagger vandal will become a petty thief and then worse as he grows up, if ignored.
They are nasty little kitty cats snarling at you from under the back porch. Something to take care of, and yes you can get a nasty scratch or bite, but not the same as a mountain lion.

A real gang moves into AC and it wouldn't matter if we had a police department.

Kid punk wannabes? 15 minutes of ACPD flurry and bluster and it is all over. Perp in the backseat with zipties.

At risk of sounding like a right wing convert, I'm going lean over from the middle a bit to support you (ILBR) on your comment here.

It is sort of what I was asking for.

Whole thing was begging for more information and you supplied some. Apparently Judy reported on the previous story as well, but why is the question not asked: What the heck is this person doing running around on the streets in the first place? Apparently he is a repeat domestic violence offender. Doesn't anyone know how dangerous that is? Most murders are domestic or family violence and this one got close. He was arrested with cocaine and marijuana. Is that still illegal in Ark City? Do we ever send these guys to jail? Honest. jail works.

The way you can dramatically cut the crime rate is this: if at the time they would be committing the second (or third or fourth) crime, they can't do it because they are in custody. Hard to break into your house if they are behind bars. Most crime is done by the same people over and over. It seems like there are more criminals, but it is just the same few over and over. For the most part the copshop knows who it is when they hear the crime. At least that is my experience. They're no dummies.

But neglecting minor crimes gets us into the really big ones like Thurber. This could have been one like that, had he fired off the gun. Good thing he is off the streets now. I hope it sticks.

The best way to keep petty crimes from turning major is with tough policing and tracking it with responsible reporting.

Lagonda, I think we all would agree they are kitties. However, how long does it take for them to become lions when left to roam unsupervised? Perhpas, if we sit up and take notice about the little things like "tagging", we'll not let it get this far.

You are right about Robert. He should have already been behind bars. Not sure why these people are still roaming free. This is why we are trying to put pressure on officials and bring these things to light. The pictures I put in acflipside are just to keep it from being pushed under the carpet. Got to bring it to light, or these kitties will be free to roam.