| Author | Message | ||
     james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 39 Registered: 5-2006 |
Dear M parent you are so very right. Parenting is the key. It is also the irony. On my street one family's mom works two jobs to pay the mortgage, while her kids trash the neighborhood everyday. This weekend while she was gone, they partied, got loud, drunk and stoned.I am sure the one son who had recently moved to Newark, was back and dealing drugs. The mom knows there are big problems, there is no dad, and she cannot cope. At one point this weekend, there were 8 people sitting on the front steps smoking while 2 little kids sat on their laps. On tues. I will call the police and try to get some help. These kids (if 21 and up is kids?) have not been taught to respect anyone or anything. They feel they are the only one's who count. My whole block, with a handful of exceptions is the same! Blow your horn at 6 am- fine. Yell, scream, curse, steal, litter, block the street - it's all good. They are entitled. Bad parenting, and babies making babies, that's what it's about. It's a shame, but it's the world I live in! Our towns will probably not recover from this, and I struggle to get anyone to acknowledge the problem even exists. PS BAYJOU-- where were you? You blew the chance to see the gangstas all hanging out, behaving badly, the unbearably obvious dope dealing, the total ghetto package. Where were you??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? | ||
| The Notorious S.L.K. Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1515 Registered: 10-2005 |
james brown- call the cops. -SLK | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 133 Registered: 5-2005 |
James, Once again you have hit the nail on the head. It's a shame some people want to keep their eyes closed. It's funny I grew up in Maplewood and now live in GASP Irvington...(3 blocks from the Maplewood Line) and my neighborhood isn't as bad as you are describing, James...except for the litter but we are on a busy street and so I suspect more of the litter comes from people in cars and buses tossing stuff out the window rather than my neighbors. Maybe some of the people in Maplewood should move to the hood. It's no worse than some of the Maplewood sections and a whole lot cheaper. Of course we don't have good schools or snob appeal but maybe if more people would take a chance the town could turn around. When my kids were younger, people in the neighborhood all looked out for each other. If my kid was riding his bike recklessly someone would sure as shootin tell him to watch out and then tell me about it when they saw me...I had complete confidence that the kids were safe and could go to any number of houses with people who knew them if they ever got stuck and needed help. Now that they are older and I am working full time many of these people have moved on and so I don't have the same relationship with the neighbors that I once had. Still all are cordial and respectful so I can't complain. | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 434 Registered: 2-2006 |
Dear James B: I am so sorry I couldn't be there. I had guests from Europe and thought I would have a little more time to do my own thing. I do not find 21 year old people that sit on their own front stairs threatening. They have kids on their laps? At least they bother spending time with them however inappropriate you find this to be. You describe a woman (the mother) who is desperately trying to make ends meet to support a family. Why don't you ask her if she could use some help? Please send me your address again and I'll be happy to come to your neighborhood anytime this weekend. | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 480 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hey James: I went to your street yesterday... don't look so bad to me. Didn't know your housenumber though otherwise I would have stopped in for the coffee/tea. Did't look to scary to me .. frankly I live on Vose and you cross over Montrose it gets a heck of alot worse there then your street. However I might have been there on a quiet evening, people where outside sweeping their stoop and all the lawns (except for maybe one or two) were nicely maintained with flowers etc. But hey again I might have been there on a slow night. | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 40 Registered: 5-2006 |
Bayjou- you missed all the fun. The holiday weekend had all the assho**s out. You could have seen dope dealing, reckless driving, foul language,child enangering, littering, loitering, and more. As for the lawns and upkeep, that was never the problem! jb | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 41 Registered: 5-2006 |
ps the babies- were on the laps of grownups who were smoking . ALL 10 of them. AND... the mother of the baby doesn't work, HER MOM WORKS! Got it? She works multiple jobs while her daughter sits on her fat •••, and does a lousy job taking care of her baby. Including leaving the baby alone outside the house with noone watching. Sound good to you? I bet you do a better job than that. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 6262 Registered: 5-2001  |
James, You won't change your particular neighborhood. You obviously don't like the lifestyle of your neighbors, and although posting on line is a way to vent and let us know what you think of the people around you, it sound like you need to move to a neighborhood which more suits your taste. Have you shopped around? | ||
| The Notorious S.L.K. Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1593 Registered: 10-2005 |
james- call the cops....why is that so difficult? Call enough times and they will post someone to keep tabs on the area. Besides, the new police station should send alot of these issues packing. Do you think it is a coincidence where they are building it on the Irvington border? Not.... -SLK | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5286 Registered: 1-2004  |
I am just reading this thread again. Bajou- I think the library has tried to talk to the parents. But it got somewhat messy. I think the middle school did create some sort of program, but as you know, it isn't 'kool' to go to the program when you can go to the library and 'act tough.' I have a feeling some of these kids act the way they do because it's how their parents act. If it weren't the case I think the parents would be more receptive to the library employees when they try to speak to the parent. I love your idea of an after school room for the kids with the parents taking turns being verbally abused by these kids. I mean taking turns supervising the little angels. It could be a Co Op teen program. I agree it's tough for working parents, but it's not fair to the librarian's to be used as free sitting service. I can't believe the way some of these preteens act in the libraries. We sure didn't act that way when we were kids. If we did, not only were we tossed from the library, our parents usually punished us for being disrespectful to an adult. I'm surprised you've had problems with the SHP students. Every morning five buses line up here to take the kids to the Prep, and they drop them back off in the afternoon. They've always been pretty well behaved. Sure the stray frisbee hits the car once in a while or goes on the lawn, but for the most part they are respectful. Maybe now that they have the monitor they know better then to get wild? Do they have buses on your side too? What's really bad are the girls from Marylawn!!! I wish they'd walk down your street so you could yell at them. Not only are they unnecessarily loud, they cuss, walk on your grass and are just plain rude. You would expect better from a Catholic School. One of the ways I've found that works in getting kids to get off the tracks when I see them on them is to tell them what happened back when I was in 9th grade. Not sure if they believe me, but they get off. | ||
| The Notorious S.L.K. Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1595 Registered: 10-2005 |
JTA- I am not aiming this directly at you, but if a preteen acts up in the library why not SAY something to them? They are kids for crissakes...and what is this about messy...the primary golden rule of every library is to shut up or get out...whatever happened to enforcing rules? Let the rules do the dirty work... -SLK | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5287 Registered: 1-2004 |
James I lived here 30 years ago and I can tell you neither Maplewood or South Orange was ALL white... | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 496 Registered: 2-2006 |
Jamesey James..You think that maybe because this situation has been so upsetting to you for a while that you might be hypersensitive? I mean it really isn't your business if that mother deceides to work a couple of jobs to support her young daughter who is home with a baby. I also find it very telling that you refer to her fat a**. What does her a** have to do with your quality of life?? I am a single mother and I had three jobs at one time of my life. The salary of one of the jobs went straight for babysitting costs so if she is young and her job skills aren't that great then she would probably loose money putting her child in decent daycare. I learned my lesson....I worked my butt off and my kids ended up being raised by nannies. You live in a middle to low income neighborhood which is predominantely black. There are cultural differences that seem to be bugging you which I can understand to some degree but do you really think that the whole street is going to change for you? Embrace the diversity and make friends, offer assistance to your neighbors if you see they are having a rough time. Hey organize a block party and get to know your neighbors..even the ones you don't like. People might surprise you and your view might change if you are open minded and embrace life around you. Cause otherwise you are just going to sit in your house, peek out of your windows, critizes what others do that doesn't suit you and be unhappy with your home. Or do like Mem suggested...find a neighborhood that suits you better and move there. By the way I smoke (cigarettes only) and we are not all evil.  Life is too short ... and it's always shorter then expected... | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5288 Registered: 1-2004 |
Bajou- I know his address if you want it. It's in the phonebook. Sad to say I agree with JB to a point. Where he lives is a lot worse then where we live. | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 498 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hey Just.. Take a walk with me and my three dogs across Montrose and past the orange towers to the end of valley....then we'll take a drive to Jacoby and have a glass of ice tea with James. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5289 Registered: 1-2004 |
SLK I have said something to the teens a few times. Sometimes they listen, more times then not they don't. I try to make a joke out of it when I say something. When I was a kid we were taught you whisper in the adult part of the library. It's hard to explain the situation. You have to see and experience it yourself. I finally learned not go to the library before 6pm. Funny though, I've been in Millburn and Livingston libraries after school and they don't have the same problems. While Livingston does have a lot of high school students hanging in the library, they aren't as out of control as those in South Orange and Maplewood. I don't know what the answer is | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 6270 Registered: 5-2001 |
James, you posted, "Including leaving the baby alone outside the house with noone watching." Dod you DO anything about this I hope? Seriously, I reread your post and I hope you did? Ouch. | ||
| Kramer Citizen Username: Kramer Post Number: 152 Registered: 9-2002 |
James, Please do some video documentation and pass around the DVD to those of us that can see what you're dealing with. Do you have the technology to do that? | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5298 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hmmm when you mention the Orange Towers and that area, ah, I think I'll pass!!! Do you mean down Vose to Argyle? If so, not that I've been there lately, I didn't realize Randolph Place had gotten that bad, has it? I think if you go a few blocks into Irvington from Jacoby it's a lot worse then the Orange Tower area. I still can't belive youknowwho lived there back 6 or so years. Jacoby isn't ***that*** bad. I use to know someone who lived on Harding, which ends at Jacoby back when I was in high school. I remember when I was a kid we didn't think twice of walking or riding our bikes past Orange Towers to what was the drug store or down a few more blocks to what we called the 'jawbreaker store.' We'd even walk to OLV. Not anymore. I think Jame's area is a lot worse based on what he is saying. Though we have to deal with a lot of kids walking through here going to the park, at leat it's not music blasing early in the morning or any of the stuff he claims happens where he lives. Then again, if we can sleep through the trains, we can sleep through anything, right? Most of the time I don't even notice them, until a friend says something! James, a number of people have asked you this many times over the past several months. What do you think needs to be done to change the bad behavior on your street? You even have people from South Orange asking how they can help. If all you can do is respond in anger and attack people for trying to help or offer suggestions, maybe you are art of the problem. | ||
| Cynicalgirl Citizen Username: Cynicalgirl Post Number: 2831 Registered: 9-2003  |
FYI -- There is an after school room at the library, but it is for the After School Program associated with Maplewood Middle. You have to pay to be in it -- my kid was up through this year. It is well run and well supervised, and it's true that after 7th grade, many kids don't feel it's cool to be in it. I don't think the library should be asked to do still more. I agree that the library is just too crazy after school. My kid will only use it in dire circumstances. Definitely not the library environment of our youth with respectful behavior, low, inside voices. I think the librarians do all they can, but it's still nuts in there. Haven't been in lately to see what how the library staff are feeling about it, mostly because I work till 6 or so. | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 1711 Registered: 9-2004  |
ps the babies- were on the laps of grownups who were smoking . ALL 10 of them. AND... the mother of the baby doesn't work, HER MOM WORKS! Got it? She works multiple jobs while her daughter sits on her fat •••, and does a lousy job taking care of her baby. Including leaving the baby alone outside the house with noone watching. Sound good to you? I bet you do a better job than that. JB, Since it seems you’re home during the daytime, perhaps you could volunteer your services of babysitting so the daughter could get off her fat *** and work. Or, look for work. If you SEE something, SAY something. You said you saw drug dealing going on in the neighborhood, did you report this to the authorities. Do you have a video camera as someone suggested? If you do, tape them in the act. If the daughter IS leaving the baby alone in the home, have you called DYFS? | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 42 Registered: 5-2006 |
Dear P-rising I donate my time to worthy efforts and deserving causes. The woman across the street from me is the nightmare on Jacoby St. I will not waste my time. When I told this young woman's mother about the baby being left alone , she told me -WELL IT'S HER BABY! Dear Mem- when the baby was left alone, I watched it to make sure it was safe. I have done this twice. Also a little boy who lives across fom me was nearly hit by a car driven too fast into the driveway. My scream prevented his being hit. Also- you say I won't change my neighborhood. You are wrong I already have. It is now much safer,quieter,with no gangstas walking the middle of the street,less stolen cars, less crack vials on the ground,less chaos in general. This is why I was not about to let MY STREET go backwards on Memorial Day weekend. I fought long and hard to clean up the S**T on my street and it will stay a decent neighborhood. Bayjou Bayjou Bayjou it is quite simple. 90% of the people on my block want a decent neighborhood. The other 10% want to turn my street into the ghetto. That IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I gave you the invite, as if I need to prove to anything to you, and you could have seen it for yourself. Please stop the Polyanna crap. I have welcomed all to my neighborhood. I have done hundreds of hours of volunteer work at the local school. My parents tutor reading there. We have NEVER turned away someone in need. Not all people are decent. We need a jail here more than a block party. DON'T YOU READ? Look at the last month alone in M/SO. 1 driveby shooting on SO AVE with at least two people shot. 2 a 15 yearold boy shot a mile from my house,3 3 men with guns arrested on Prospect St in Maplewood after a wild car chase. I AM OVER SENSITIVE????? YOU ARE NUTS! Many white people think wherever black people live must be a ghetto. I don't believe that, and I will not allow that to happen. The people trying to ruin my neighborhood are not mothers ,or fathers, or people who work, or wish to contribute anything. THE HELL WITH THEM. These are the future inmate population the future drug OD'S. The future victims of their own violence! Once I might have given Christian charity to these lost souls. After fighting them tooth and nail, I Won't. I don't know about you, and don't care about your history. Here, where I grew up, people that stand in front of your house and yell S*** MY D*** to a man's wife deserve only a beating. You keep apologising for these asH***S. Can anyone imagine if instead of young black men standing at my house yelling WE GONNA GET YOU HONKY- WE GONNA MESS YOU UP,if it was 5 young WHITE men screaming F*** YOU NI**ER WERE GONNA GET YOU? That would make the tv news. That would bring out REV AL. I am tired of all this moronic logic. What has hurt this town cannot, and should not be confused with BLACK CULTURE or DIVERSITY.It is not. It is only criminal behavior, and no matter what race is involved. It is not culture it is BULL S**T!!!! Dear just the Aunt- next school year I will ask for 8 grownups who care to help monitor the maddness at the Main Library. Not only will the kids behave better, the library will understand that it's useless, do nothing policy must and will be changed. I hope unlike so many on this site, you will come and help once a week, instead of just typing. ALso if you want to say there were a hand full of minoritiy people 30 years ago, fine. People will say my part of town is not all black. They are right. There are a handful of white people left. SO WHAT? Do you think this is real integration? Is this real multiculturism? When did the country club begin letting Blacks and Jewish people in? How about the cross burning 21 years ago? We as a group, different as we may be, need to stand together. We can do this. We need to stop the uncivil behavior in it's tracks. I do not wish on this town what it took to fix my street. I have had to risk everything to make things better.Dogs,bats, and chains are not the way I want to make things better. I had to do it this way, and will keep doing it this way until the town steps up and does it's job. The resentment I feel is split equally between the people who only want to distroy what is good and decent, and our town's governments who have stood back and done nothing. Before there was trouble at CHS-I told you it was coming. I saw it and felt it everyday while I picked up my kid. I told about my neighborhood, the library, and now the pool. Do you think the violence,and crime, and uncivilized behavior all around us will stop at the borders of town? Were the shootings in our town, and near our town flukes? DO YOU WNNA BET???????????????????????????????????????????????????? | ||
| juju's petals Citizen Username: Jujus_petals Post Number: 263 Registered: 5-2003  |
Did I read that right? Honky?! Really? Are you being stalked by some kind of Jeffersons tribute gang? | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 43 Registered: 5-2006 |
Well you got part of it right, these people are clowns- maybe you too? | ||
| S.L.K.s. Ghost Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1602 Registered: 10-2005 |
JB- Let me get this one straight. 10% of the population on your street is controlling the other 90%? Something is wrong here. the other 90% should come together, make a pact with the cops and nip this in the butt once and for all. You have the power on your side, what is preventing you from using it? -SLK BTW, congratulations on all your hard work but you have a little more to do.... | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 504 Registered: 2-2006 |
Dear James: After reading your last post I would have to say three things: 1. You are obsessed and therefor do not see things in a real light anymore. You have taken on the martyr cloak and are pissed cause you are not getting the attention you deserve. This is called a-typical obsession. 2. You have made more cloaked racist remarks in that one last post then I have seen in a life time. You write that 90% of your block wants a decent neighborhood but you state immediately there after that your block needs a jail not a blockparty. 3. Clean up your mouth. You complain about uncivilized behavior and you are cursing, spewing hate and ranting. I told you I will go there one night this weekend to see what's up but frankly with a ration of 90% to 10 % you got it good. | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 44 Registered: 5-2006 |
Find or rent a brain bayjou. I'm tired of listening to your dribble. You don't know me, or my neighbors yet you drone on and on like you do. YOU DON'T KNOW SH** Get a life, read a book, whatever, give your mouth a rest. All I get from you is stupid. | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 515 Registered: 2-2006 |
James: Does that mean the ice tea invite is off?  With best regards, Bajou By the way you reap what you sow. | ||
| S.L.K.s. Ghost Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1611 Registered: 10-2005 |
Bajou- Can I come with you? Maybe we can take care of the problems while we are scoping it out... -SLK | ||
| harold Citizen Username: Harold Post Number: 385 Registered: 5-2001 |
"maybe we can take care of the problems while we are scoping it out". Yeah right, you'll probably get beaten up then spend a month crying about it on mol. | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 525 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hey I show up with a ghost (SLK) I should be fine. Frankly I go out in Newark on a regular basis and I have never had a problem. Sometimes it's all about the attitude or the lack of it. I have had a gun held to my forhead and talked my way out of it but that was in New Orleans after Katrina. Trust me what was happening down there makes Jacoby Street look like a club med. As most of you must have noticed by now I am extremely talented in talking sombody to death  I will now get some rest but knowing me I'll probably talk in my sleep too. No wonder I am single... and loving it. | ||
| S.L.K.s. Ghost Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1613 Registered: 10-2005 |
harold- I doubt it, my street smarts never failed me yet. But even so I would be doing more than you ever dream of doing. In my neck of the woods they call what you do whining. -SLK | ||
| Hoops Citizen Username: Hoops Post Number: 1419 Registered: 10-2004  |
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| harold Citizen Username: Harold Post Number: 386 Registered: 5-2001 |
hahahaha "street smarts"!!!!!!!! | ||
| S.L.K.s. Ghost Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1615 Registered: 10-2005 |
Harold- This is coming from you? Someone who can't handle a couple extra dark faces on his street.... -SLK | ||
| harold Citizen Username: Harold Post Number: 387 Registered: 5-2001 |
Care to back up your accusations?} Throw your race card to yourself pal. | ||
| james brown Citizen Username: James_brown Post Number: 45 Registered: 5-2006 |
You guys amaze me. Is this all anybody can do? YELL YOU'RE A RACIST! Pathetic. How about this. Lets play who is the baddest mamajama. Wow baywatch had a gun to her head(too bad it wasn't a brain!). I was robbed by 3 gangstas at knife point. Lets see do three knives trump a gun? Stop the B.S and get real. SLK - It's always the small group with the ability to scare, menace, or brutalize that has control. It's the same in every town, state or country. It's why people did'nt testify against the mob, or the govt, or a gang etc. The bad guys won't take back my street.That is not going to happen.One day soon something bad will. When it does someone will go to jail, and someone will go to the hospital, or the morgue.I would prefer to be the one going to jail. Someone who is clearly delusional wrote with great authority that I considered myself a martyr. I don't. My wife and kids have been frightened, and threatened by the gansta assho***, but I have not been hurt-not once. I resent the time I have had to invest in fighting them. They have no agenda ( besides getting laid and stoned)other than tearing down everything good, everything people have worked hard for. Do you remember the gangsta who carjacked the teacher some years ago? She taped the entire crime before she was murdered. She told this moron he would not ever live to enjoy her car, but being a moron he killed her because HE WANTED A CAMRY. This is the mentality I'm talking about. These are not good kids, or good people, whatever you want to call them they suck. If that makes me a racist, that's fine with me. Why don't we stop pretending there is no race problem and begin a real disscussion on how to make things better, we could stop yelling racist everytime someone dissagrees with us or steps on our shoes! | ||
| crabby Citizen Username: Crabbyappleton Post Number: 645 Registered: 1-2004 |
james- I feel your pain. I don't get why these others are minimizing the problems. When bajou said Jacoby looks like club med compared to new orleans, what the h*ll is that? Does that mean we should settle for less because somewhere else is worse? That's just the most stupid attitude I've heard in a long time. Here's what I don't get. I know it's great when we all fundraise for hurricane victims, and build houses and send supplies, but wait a minute...all this energy going elsewhere when our own problems are here everyday (the physical state of our schools, the drug hangouts on Jacoby, etc). What? We have blinders on or something? If all that energy/money would be spent right here, imagine the positive outcomes. Some in the community do some, but we could do so much more. To start, we could listen to pepole like james. | ||
| S.L.K.s. Ghost Citizen Username: Scrotisloknows Post Number: 1616 Registered: 10-2005 |
Crabby- I feel James pain and not trying to minimize it at all. I am willing to take on the problem myself if I have to and will assist James as well if necessary. I agree I think Bajou is minmizing the problem a little bit here and whitewashing a little bit there. James, what made the gangstas go off on your wife and kids (or didn't they)? Help us understand the problem here. I believe you need to constantly disrupt people like this. Call the cops like mad. Call the cops even when they are not doing something...let them no they are being anomynously (sp) watched. Spook em as I say. It has worked for me in the past. One time I drove up to a group of gangstas, rolled down my window and very quickly shouted "alot of us have our eyes on you, watch your back" and sped off before they knew what happened. Wouldn't you know they were never seen again. They are not brightest people. Remember that if anything... One downside with jacoby is that it is literally on the border of Irvington and some of that spillage is bound to show up in our town. -SLK | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 142 Registered: 5-2005 |
SLK's Ghost, You were making sense until the last line....as an Irvington resident I take umbrage at being referrred to as "spillage" There's good and bad on both sides of the border as evidenced by James Brown's and other's postings. The bad karma goes both ways my friend. My neighborhood is no worse than the Maplewood neighborhood 3 blocks away. |
