Rowdy behavior in Central Square a hot topic
As published on page one of the September 13, 2011 edition of The Keene Sentinel, and online.
By mid afternoon Monday, nearly 30 people could be seen in Keene's Central Square.
They sat in small groups in the bandstand, on the park benches and on the ledge around the water fountain.
A Hacky Sack game was in progress, and several of the males removed their shirts in the afternoon heat.
"I got out of school, came down here, did my homework and then hung out with people," said Shauna L. Myers, a purple-haired, 17-year-old Keene High School student.
Rene J. Wells, 22, had been there longer. Wells is homeless and lives in a campsite, he said, and he considers the square his "home away from home."
"You get sick of being alone at camp, and this has people and scenery," he said.
Less than two hours later, Myers and Wells were among the more than 60 people who gathered in City Hall for what City Manager John A. MacLean said he had initially conceived of as a small, informal discussion with a few concerned residents.
Word spread quickly, however, and what occurred was more of an impromptu forum on just how public the small city park -- surrounded by restaurants and high-end retail establishments as well as apartments and office buildings -- should be.
Business owners are upset that vulgar language and intimidating behavior is driving customers away, and residents report they are uncomfortable walking through the square.
Laura Keith King, president of the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, said people sometimes scream obscenities loud enough to be heard inside her office, which overlooks the square.
Police Chief Kenneth J. Meola attributed the conflict and frustration in part to the success of the downtown, where inviting public spaces were designed to encourage people to "hang out."
"Now we're seeing lots of issues with the hanging out," he said, adding that not all members of the community of young people who spend time downtown and in the square are responsible for the behavior that is upsetting property owners.
But even if not everyone in the groups is swearing and threatening, their presence nonetheless contributes to the problem, according to some.
Addressing individuals who identified themselves as Central Square regulars, Keene resident Kay Georgina said: "The numbers have grown so large that you people -- sorry for the phrase -- are intimidating."
Addressing the city manager, she added that "something has to be done about it, because they are doing things to our community that are unfriendly and unattractive."
Georgina was far from alone.
Other residents and business owners told the city manager they have been verbally threatened, and one woman reported she had been "flashed" by another woman who exposed her breasts.
Dori O'Meara, who owns Pedraza's Mexican Restaurant as well as rental apartments downtown, said her restaurant recently closed its bathrooms to the public because of the increased activity on the square.
Some people suggested that the entire community needs to collaborate to discourage the behaviors that are offending so many residents.
"We all need to work together; it is everyone's park," resident Peter Bradshaw said.
Keene police have formed good relationships with some of the young people who spend time on the square, Meola said, and he suggested they could help discourage the bad language and intimidating behavior, but they would need the support of the rest of the community.
In particular, he asked people reporting incidents to the police to identify the individuals responsible, either by describing them or pointing them out to an officer.
No minutes were taken at Monday's meeting, and the discussion was not part of the official city record. MacLean encouraged those in attendance to write a letter to the city or attend next month's meeting of the City Council's municipal services committee on Oct. 26 to make official comments.
Colleen O'Brien, 17, was in the square Monday afternoon with her 8-month-old daughter Lillian, sitting on a blanket spread over the grass and covered with toys.
She is friends with most of the other people who were in the square, and she said she thought it was good that the square had become a popular place to spend time.
"Otherwise it was just a waste of tax dollars to put a fountain and a gazebo here," she said.
tagged with: Keene City Hall, Keene's Central Square, loitering
<< The day everything changed Local tile company closing; operation moving to New York >>