There’s a scattering of newsy items today, but I am in a road trip and thus a light posting schedule due the mysteries of a weird sound and check engine light.
Open Thread
by turfgrrl
July 20th, 2007 · 27 Comments
Tags: In the News
27 Responses so far ↓ “Open Thread”
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Haitian Festival at Vets’ Park, 12:52 pm on Saturday July 21st: sounds just as loud as the Colombian Festival last weekend from a mile south.
Is there intelligence at City Hall? Does this situation reflect what’s called “Responsive Government”?
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Here is the straw that broke the camels back. The DPW came around to all the side streets near Vets Park and put up Tow Away Signs “Emergency Route” The residents were told to move their cars or they would be towed. So now when there is a Festival are the residents supposed to park on Washington street? This crap is just about gotten away from any sanity at all.
First the residents had their driveways blocked by out of state cars, then the cars belonging to those who did not want to pay to get into the park, parked in front of hydrants and in no parking zones all over the area, and now to remedy the situation THEY PENILIZE THE RESIDENTS MAKING THEM MOVE THERE CARS ACROSS TOWN.
From now on ANY FESTIVAL SHOULD BE ORDERED TO MAKE UP RESIDENT PARKING SIGNS JUST AS THE OYSTER FESTIVAL HAS DONE FOR DECADES. Who the hell is paying the taxes in this town? It sure as hell is not the out of towner’s. This Vets Park neighborhood is becoming a concentration camp, and the residents are the prisoners. Prisoners who pay a hefty real estate tax to pay for being imprisoned by the Parks & Recreation Departments mishandling of just about everything to do with that park.
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Now the anti adminstration people will use Vets park as their issue. In checking with police as of 2 P.M. 8 complaints had been phoned in. Several from Pine Hill and as usual from Vanatage Condos. But guess what. The music started about 1 P.M. and some complaints were actually called in prior to the music starting. Gee do we sense politics at play here, the campaign has officially started.
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Nah, they’re not anti-administration, just anti-idiot.
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I’m sitting here on East Ave and can’t hear a thing so, If this is just another attempt to complain, have at it. Last week I couldn’t hear myself think. Sounds to me as if it a nice event and those of you complaining need to think again. Here, let me say it again. THERE IS NO LOUD SOUND..once in a while you can hear a bit of music but other than that nothing. Looks like city officials are doing the right thing this week.
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Just got back from the Haitian Festival and meet a few other neighborhood folks there. Had my jerked chicken with onions rice and beans, for which I will suffer tonight. There was no where as big a crow as the Columbian fest, and the music was just about what the Oyster Fest has in the main stage. The main thing is that the people announcing the acts and the other stuff WERE NOT shouting at the top of their lungs. I even had my pix take by the staff while cramming a hunk of chicken in my mouth. They must have gotten a kick out of seeing this white boy, enjoying the food and eating like there was no tomorrow.
I also did not notice any parking problems as most of these folks paid the $5 to park in the park, if they were from out of town.
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The music started about 1 P.M. and some complaints were actually called in prior to the music starting.
I did notice several young people in cars with boomboxes blaring on the East End of the park. They were told by the police to knock it off. That could be what they were complaining about. Calling before the music on the stage started, sounds like you might be on crack.
Of course there could have been such hearing and nerve damage done from last week, that they are still imagining it is there.
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Maybe some of those complaining should go on down and join the festivities instead of looking for something to complain about. Get a little culture and soak up the traditions of Haiti. I took a drive by myself on the way to lunch in SoNo and it looked like a pretty quiet affair. Lots of colors and some music is all I saw and heard. Lets not be so quick to complain and maybe we will learn a little about others cultures. Ofcourse last weekend I have to say, I learned way too loud and way too long about the Columbian culture. I’ll bet I would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t have to wear ear plugs.
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I can hear the announcer speaking quite loudly now, and the wind is blowing from the northeast today. The volume depends on the wind gusts, it’s like someone cranks the volume up for a while and then lowers it. I have to say the rap music that just got finished was not my fave. Those of you who claim there is nothing to be heard in other parts of town should drive down to Calf Pasture.
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#9-no one can help which way the wind is blowing, wouldn’t it be great if we could. Come on, give them a break, it seems as if they are being Conscientious and abiding by their contract. I would probably say they were told ahead of time what the ramifications would be if they didn’t. Perhaps if the wind changes you won’t hear it and to their credit, it only lasts til 6pm. You have to expect that if someone is trying to get the crowds attention, trying to introduce a group or person they just might speak a little louder but all in all I think they are keeping the volume at a reasonable tone. being just off Gregory Blvd I really can’t say that the sound is bad.
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The festival is great, not too loud. All SoNo merchants do is complain about how bad their business is. Well what about getting involved in the community and advertising. You think anyone knows that the SoNo arts festival is happening? Advertise.
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It is true the music is not distractingly loud, but I can actually tell when the wind changes the sound of the beat will increase by about 50% then go down to very low. Last week you could hear it over a hurricane or a tornado.
I think that the SONO merchants are complaining because this is the peak of their season to make the cash to carry them through the lean months, and the DPW has decided to tear up Washington Street for at least 2 weeks.
Bet the mayor has to come to the DPW’s rescue and figure out an alternate plan, to keep things from getting out of hand.
Is this true?
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Mary and I just got back from the festival.
We drove in from South Norwalk by going down Water Street and then turning onto the bridge. Even with the convertible top down and the radio off, we heard nothing until we were at the park. When we left, we stopped off for some ice cream — couldn’t hear anything form there, a couple of blocks away, either. After visiting a friend, we drove back to the bridge, and still the festival was under control.
This was a great event and well managed.
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#12-You are right about the merchants and the construction but they did want the brick fixed and it will enhance the area as far as being safer for patrons to walk. I would tend to agree that perhaps the work could be done late at night but then it would have to be done at time + 1/2 and that cuts into not only the merchants pockets but all of the taxpayers as well. Again, we are dealing with unions and union pay scales. Hopefully the work will be speedy and things will get back to business as usual. While DPW is there, they may want to think about moving the bus depots. I read another post about them being in front of restaurants and people urinating and I can tell you first hand while sitting at dinner not too long ago, I was privy to urinating, spitting, drunken behavior and people extinguishing their cigarette but right where we were eating. Not what I would call an advertisement for fine dining.
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When we left, we stopped off for some ice cream — couldn’t hear anything form there, a couple of blocks away,
Spoken like a true politician.
Say nothing bad about anything until elected.
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I can tell you first hand while sitting at dinner not too long ago, I was privy to urinating, spitting, drunken behavior and people extinguishing their cigarette but right where we were eating
Can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear, and if you put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig.
There is just not enough free sidewalk and street space for true alfresco dining. The street was designed for horse and trolley traffic. When Reed Putnam opens for business I think things may get really lean in SONO, if there are eating establishments in the new sector.
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#15 You clearly don’t know me!
I went all around the area to see for myself how bad it was. It simply wasn’t.
I have brought up many issues on this blog and always in my own name.
But let’s make this sporting. My phone number is on my web site, and a link to that is in the right hand column of this blog. When the noise is too loud, give me a call. If I’m able, I’ll come right over and you can show me how bad it is.
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I just love the comments from those pedantic pimpsqueeks who drive through this neighborhood. these are the type of friends that love to host a party at your house so they can enjoy themselves greatly, but leave the mess for you. they are also the ones who want to leave their neighborhood ‘just the quaint, quiet neighborhood it is” BUT they’re insistent that you open your doors and yards to anyone who wants to host a “cultural event”.
How about Norwalk move these events to parks throughout the town? Lets share the culture across neighborhoods…how about we start with Rowayton?? -
loud, give me a call. If I’m able, I’ll come right over and you can show me how bad it is.
I was there eating so I know EXACTLY how loud it was, and also that the crowd did not start to get there until almost 5:15. I did not say it was loud, but you sound like it was a grave yard.
PS
Where were you last weekend?
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I had other plans and was not able to go down. But even had I been around, the lack of parking would have been a major roadblock as I am disabled and walk with a cane (and so does Mary).
Look, I never said it was a graveyard, but THIS WEEK is not unreasonably loud either — at least not while I was there. Mary and I were able to talk to each other while we were walking around the booths. We ran into Joanne Romano, and she said they were keeping it to 80dB.
There was also plenty of parking this week, so my take is that the big problem is the way last week’s event is run year after year.
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It is 6;45 and the crowd is quite large. There is some illegal parking and the cars are lined up out of the East gate onto Seaview Ave. This coupled with the fact that a lot of Soccer Players may have showed up for late games. I think the crowd waited to have dinner there when it got cooler.
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Then that is completely different from what I was seeing mid-afternoon.
You didn’t mention the music, which was one of the earliest complaints. Is it unbearably loud, or are they keeping it to the agreed to 80dB level?
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I really do not see a big problem with the music. I do not think it is any louder than the Oyster Fest’s Evening Performance. There is still a parking problem that started as soon as all the parking in the park was taken. They then closed the East Gate. I really wonder how these festivals affect business in SONO? I would think that folks who come to the Oyster Fest may take a walk to do some shopping on Washington Street, but the eating establishments have to take a hit during Ethnic Festivals, as most people come to sample the food.
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As promised, I did go back down (in fact, I just got back). I couldn’t hear the music until I got to the park side of the bridge, but traffic was backing up a bit. Saw the illegally parked cars, along Fort Pt, Seaview, and especially the side streets off of Seaview. There was a patrol car along Seaview that seemed to be ticketing cars (at least I hope he was, since he was blocking traffic).
Of note is the fact that the Maritime Garage was far from full. Does anybody park in there?
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Of note is the fact that the Maritime Garage was far from full. Does anybody park in there?
No, it seems like a loser in the pocket book. Just sure as Vets Park has become a commercial bus lot for the Maritime Aquarium, the Maritime Garage has become a waste of premium space.
Maritime Buses in Park — YES
Maritime visitors cars in Maritime garage — NO
What is wrong with this equation ?
What is wrong is that nothing from the Maritime Aquarium seems to park on their property.
If they were charged $100,000 a year to park their traffic in Vets Park, maybe we would see some improvements to that park that do not warrant giving it away piecemeal.
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The maritime garage is totally inconvenient for people going to Vets park. I can fully understand why people don’t park there for Vets Park events. Further, the two times I parked in the garage, paying for the parking was inconvenient - parked at one end and had to walk to the other side to pay. Granted, this was when it first opened, and I have not been back there since. The location is fine for the Maritime Aquarium, but I certainly wouldn’t park there to shop or dine out in Sono unless the restaurant was on Marshall Street or in the close vicinity.
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we can solve this we just tell the park user that we spin the wheel and their area is the next park on the list. let’s see flax hill town hall cranbury taylor farm andrew’s field {a little wet} you get the idea.
