Today I Witnessed a Rape...

[XLFD]

I was out riding my bicycle on this nice October day by the residence of a lady I know.  She is beautiful, yet simple; she is the ward of a guardian, whose decisions are made for her.  She was adopted long ago with strict rules given by the parents as to how she was to be taken care of.  Recently, her guardianship has changed and the rules were mostly forgotten.

 

I noticed a truck that belonged to a friend of the new guardian.  Concealed by some nearby foliage, I seen him taking advantage of her.  Before I could do anything, I saw two more of the guardian's friends drive their vehicles up to her place, and they got out and joined in the assault.  I wanted to call 911, but knew the guardian was a co-worker and a very good friend of the local police chief, who would allow this to continue.  I sneaked off, disgusted, and went home to get my camera, so as to chronicle the nasty development to help her in the future.

 

When I got back, the vehicles had left and this poor lady was hurting.  She had multiple cuts all over her body, and they had even spray painted her all over. It looked painful and I took pictures of the hurt they had inflicted on her.  Before I could even think of doing more, they came back and brought some more friends with them.  The anguish I felt with not being to help this lady was great, but I went away while they came back at her.  Once again they assaulted her, cutting her up, damaging her beyond immediate repair.  I took more pictures of the carnage, but they paid little attention to me-- they knew I couldn't help her out, and they had weapons.

 

They continued this for the rest of the afternoon, cleaned up a little bit afterwards, and left.  I consoled her afterwards, but knew there was little I could do to help her before they would come back again and do worse to her.  Tomorrow the raping will continue.

 

Pre:  100_1081.JPG   100_1084.JPG   100_1087.JPG

 

During:  100_1091.JPG   100_1097.JPG   100_1100.JPG

 

Post:  100_1107.JPG   100_1108.JPG   100_1109.JPG

[AQUAMAN]

LOL Sheila, I figured you'd get a kick outa that one, har! Well X, I guess they could have also got high maintenance on this and put up an invisible fence too, one costing $40K or so, instead of the $20K now, any one ever think of that or mention it at the meetings? Personally, I feel the chain link fence is ok, local contractor Fisher Fence got the work too, not some outsider again. Plus, it's very shiny and let's the dogs visually know the perimeters without getting shocks nor getting out of bounds where the pedal people and walkers are on paths. Or would you rather a big dog or pack of dogs, jumped up on you as you or small people were riding along in peace and suddenly found the dogs upon you? Wooooof!

[AQUAMAN]

X, you know how many pictures you could take like this in Mason County with the literally thousands of pristine acres of land that no one has built on nor owns anymore? C'mon man, let this tiny little piece of Central Bark Park exist in peace. Co-share the Cartier Park with your fellow Ludingtonian dog lovers with pride and respect. Thanks.

[Willy]

The point X is trying to make is the legality of establishing a dog park without the public support by way of a vote. How difficult would it have been to put this issue on the November ballot and let the people of Ludington decide what the park usage should be.

[Sweater Cows!]

It's really an appeals court type thing.i love mommy<----kid, see what happens when I leave the room lol................ back to me

because it is all a matter of opinion whether or not the use is a diversion or improvement. those words, one or the other are deciders as to whether or not it is a vote requiring type item or not.

[AQUAMAN]

Could be Landluver Carlissloan, problem is, I think the Lud. voters would approve such usage, cause we are almost all dog lovers, the end question is, would the Cartiers' approve, given their family terms of usage, and since they never voiced an opinion thus far, and having a year now passed without any Lawyer or Family opposition, it would seem a mute issue now, or is it? daaaaa

[XLFD]

Aq,
I could take thousands of pics like this in Mason County, but we are talking about my lil ol' City of Ludington. Once you step out of Cartier Park, there is no public parklands or private lands that come close to rivalling the wilderness scenery or the remote quality of nature-- not Stearn's, not Copeyon, not Waterfront, not nowhere-- in the City of Ludington.

When they put the paved path going through Cartier Park I was disappointed. But it wasn't too intrusive, and it had the very important purpose of allowing old and/or handicapped people confined to wheelchairs access to this pristine natural setting.

One of the things I do not like about the dog park concept is that it seems to encourage dog owners to not walk their dog, to instead let the dog run around while they sit idle. With the current waistline increasing in America, this aspect is not good. If someone is old or handicapped, however, I think the dog park is a good alternative. Dog parks should be made foremost with these people in mind.

The entrance on either side of the unlawful Dog Park is not conducive for these types of dog owners who need it most. Stated otherwise, this dog park currently is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will take a bit of capital, and a bit more ruining of the naturalness of the area to conform to that Act.

Whereas, if this park was created on a flat area, with easy access for all, the people who would benefit most would actually be able to use it. The Dow Field area wouldn't probably appeal to all the Hamlin area folks on the Dog Park Committee who wanted to come into the 'urban' Ludington to get into a natural wooded setting, but this would have been a great place for it.

Charl mentioned Oriole Field. The Gaylord water tower area, the proposed fire station property on Dowland, etc. are all better accomodating. And all of them wouldn't have required a vote by the people of Ludington, as per the law of my city.

[XLFD]

Since the ADA is a very complex law, here is the general rule that applies here:

Sec. 12182. Prohibition of discrimination by public accommodations

(a) General rule

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.

Here's a link to more of that act complete with amendments from 2008: http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm

[AQUAMAN]

Soooooooo, what's this got to do with Man's Best Friend? X? My pal, and best friend, Hildy? You just gotta be more humanistic on this subject, imho. All you keep doing is defending the rights of the tree people, and that's just NOT making it imho, at least this time! This Central Bark Park is here to stay now, and nothing, except the Cartiers' opposition, is going to cancel nor stop it, JMO.

[XLFD]

Aq,
I have nothing against your best friend, and I believe that you have plenty of places to let her roam around leashless and are hale and hearty enough to walk her many other places. Let's bypass the rights of the electors of Ludington, forget the people who may have fond memories of this wilderness area of Cartier Park, forgive those public officials who overstepped their authority and violated ethics ordinances. Let's not consider the fit members of the Dog Park Committee who not only overlooked open public discussion on the placement of this park, but also overlooked the people who would benefit most from it; the physically challenged. If I was bound to a wheelchair, I would not even think of taking a dog to this place.

Grab a wheelchair and Hildy, go to this area , and see whether you can get up the hill, back to the gate and let her in by yourself. Then hope she comes when you call her, to get back on her leash. Then tell me what a great dog park it is.

[AQUAMAN]

Good post Disarm, well spoken and thought out too. I have noticed the lot owned by the City on Dowland St. has never been sold, and it is vacant and cleaned up now. Probably just as big as the current dog park in size too. It is also at the opposite South side of town, and, perhaps, could be another 2nd dog park in the future. As for handicap access to any public facility, I am quite sure that All such sponsored programs will contain some kind of access sometime soon before the formal ribbon cutting and opening, when Shay & Henderson will be on site to get a photo op, some praise, handclaps, and for being such good guys.

[XLFD]

One thing I don't think I'll compromise on is agreeing that this is not a diversion of use from what this acre of Cartier Park was before. Have you ever read laws concerning zoning? This complex miasma of regulations has hosts of restrictions on what is permitted to do in certain areas of the city one lives in.

Putting up many fences where none has never been before, allowing dogs to run freely off the leash in this one area in violation of still-standing laws, placing new rules on this area where there was no special ones before, etc. has definitely made this a change of use.

And before we count heads, lets just note that of those who have responded in this thread, the people who are actually electors in this town (me, RJE, Charl, and one other) that have serious reservations about the genesis of this dog park outnumber the townies who do. But majorities in a harmless little thread really mean squat; majorities in elections where both sides of an issue can debate a location of a dog park mean alot.

I would have no problem with a legit, inclusive dog park being put in at a host of locations, but it would be dependent on letting this corner of Cartier Park revert back to its natural state. The City officials and Dog Park Committee neglect of my concerns over the whole year show that they are not interested in this, and also that I don't have the leadership ability to thwart it with just the law, some independent outrage, and a few powerless reprobates behind me.

[charlemagnetism]

maybe we should start putting dog playgrounds somewhere other than in our city limits. ruin wilson hill victory park or summit park with these yuppy puppy places. before you call me a dog hater just think of me as a pretencious dog owner hater. take your dog out and run with it. if your in a wheelchair go to a baseball field.