Does Redding California City Council Care About Its Homeless Children?

 

Walking in their shoes, to be crushed by a garbage truck sleeping in a downtown alley or a Semi truck sleeping in your tent, one cannot think of many more gruesome ways to die.

Of course, many are slowly dying inside as they waist away homeless on Redding California's cruel streets, a palpable indifference from that Redding City Council, and Shasta County Supervisors who should care, yet for years have turned their collective backs in cold indifference.

"Lori was homeless but Casey said it was very recent as she always had a job and apartment. However, there came a point where utilities became too much, so Lori decided to camp in the tent."

Since the City of Redding continues to allow homeless to camp within 2 feet from road up and down State St & Favretto Ave next to a dark Semi Truck trailer transfer lot, I propose at least some modicum of safety by simply placing bright safety cones and safety barriers at strategic spots on these horrible dark streets that our homeless population seeks refuge.

Two feet from same road Lori was crushed except much darker here across street semi-trailer transfer block after accident

Quite frankly, the City of Redding would do well to open the unused South City Park during the night, or some other suitable nighttime refuge area.

By the Redding City Council and its Shasta County Supervisors simply turning their collective backs to an obvious safety issue as its sole reaction to the tragedy that occurred there is simply unacceptable, and surly the blood of the next man, woman, or child brutally and horrifically squashed out of them will spiritually be on your hands. If you agree please share this blog on your social media AND let them know how you feel...

Barry Tippin - City Manager - City of Redding 

(530) 225-4060

btippin@cityofredding.org

Since City of #Redding #ShastaCounty #California continues to allow #homeless to camp within 2 feet up and down State St & Favretto Ave next to dark Semi Truck trailer transfer lot at least some modicum of safety by simply placing bright safety cones /safety barriers @GotNoPlace pic.twitter.com/nCbpEcpxRf

— Redding Homeless (@ReddingHomeless) November 27, 2022

Inside The Redding California Homeless Crisis

Several articles have come out recently about our local homeless crisis featuring the investigative reporting skills of independent journalist Evelyn Nieves. You can hear and read her interview here at  What Redding's Response to Homelessness Says About a Statewide Crisis at the San Francisco Public Press.

“This population has always existed, what hasn’t existed was the kind of street homelessness we see now. Why is that? Money...Stories about homelessness never bring up the fact that federal funding has dropped.”

Evelyn Nieves has covered homelessness extensively and has been reporting in depth on Redding’ response to homelessness, and how it parallels trends around the region and the state. Redding Coalition for the Homeless director Chris Solberg had the pleasure of meeting Evelyn and spending much of the day with her and the local homeless population at the Shasta County library. “There is a dynamic of hatred,” said Solberg, who has posted scores of videos on YouTube documenting the city’s responses, from police encounters with homeless people to the caging of park benches.You can read her most recent in depth article here, Redding’s Homeless Ride a Wave of Very Tough Love."  California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls homelessness an emergency akin to a major earthquake, but his proposals do not prevent cities from sweeping people off the streets."

"Security guards would kick them off the library lawn at dusk. South City Park next door, once a refuge, sat behind iron gates. So did the alcoves of the businesses across the street. Even the tunnel under a nearby road, a creepy crawl space that always offered a last resort, was cut off: An elaborate metal barrier, almost sculptural, criss-crossed its length, blocking access."

“There is a dynamic of hatred.”https://t.co/gxRGhHhnrG

— Capital & Main (@capitalandmain) February 6, 2020

“We’re treated like scum” said Tani Kelley 44-year-old mother of two She lost her housing to a series of misfortunes she said including the 2018 wildfires that ravaged Shasta and neighboring Trinity counties “No one,” Kelley said, “wants to be out here” https://t.co/92ePM8NJi0

— Redding Homeless (@ReddingHomeless) February 5, 2020

Redding’s homeless ride a wave of very tough love https://t.co/ROrkwDP80J

— Daily Kos (@dailykos) February 7, 2020

Is it dangerous camping at California's Whiskeytown Lake Oak Bottom Campground ?

I just got back from a meeting with the supervisor of Oak Bottom Campground and Marina at Whiskeytown lake in California who I perceived as threatening me with physical violence for telling you folks about what goes on at Oak Bottom campground when I was a security guard there. "Nobody is coming to the campground or lake because of my internet bad mouthing".he says.

I call it the truth or better yet a testimony.

Im thinking its the head and other body parts free floating in the Whiskeytown lake but what do I know. Needless to say he has bought himself an internet recap of my experiences there because I believe there are serious safety issues.

“Despite the exhaustive efforts made to locate both of Bridget Jacobs’ hands and head, they remain unrecovered,” Edwards said in a written statement.


1 There is allegedly  a Memorandum of Understanding with Oak Bottom Campground and Marina concessionaires that Whiskeytown Law Enforcement Park Rangers respond after hours to the campground when security calls and needs help. On three separate occasions when I called National Park Service dispatchers in SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, ( Whiskeytown has no night dispatchers? ) needing help for guests of the campground, they called me back saying they went down list and none of the Rangers would wake up, get out of bed and answer the phone in my opinion causing a serious delay in response time. After one incident like this a Whiskeytown Park Ranger apologized saying they all didn't answer their phone because they had a planned Marijuana raid early that next morning and needed their rest !!! Shasta County Sheriff or Highway patrol would have to respond. The area by the way should be absorbed by the Sheriffs dept for law enforcement purposes. I think it is due to piss poor management at Oak Bottom that these park "Rangers" legally cannot be set straight . Just my opinion.

2 The campground according to another supervisor of Oak Bottom has said they have had shootings and stabbings occur IN THE PAST THAT YOU NEVER SEEM TO SEE OR HEAR OF IN THE MEDIA. A sheriff who responded to a call late one night told me he moonlights as a security officer at campgrounds at Shasta Lake and said they "NEVER ' have this many problems and that he as well as another park ranger said they would not want my job for nothing. I must ask myself is this because of years of piss poor management?

3 Although I complained over and over the lights where you park your boats, cars, and expensive camping gear are solar powered with inferior batteries that all go out about 130 to 2 in the morning leaving those objects I have described in PITCH BLACKNESS. The campground, parking lots, marina, boat and RV parking all have this problem. I must ask myself again is this because of years of piss poor management?

4 Upset, Chief Law Enforcement officer for Whiskeytown at the time Chris Mengel, gave me his card, upset at situation and that I should call him........Nothing

One man with nothing more than a flashlight from 6 pm till 230 am is what is between YOU camping and some of the most absolute scariest freaks camping out at Oak Bottom known to man....... A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE !!

I think if I was camping at Oak Bottom campground I would NOT FEEL SAFE unless the Security Guard was packing a gun for guests immediate protection.... Change desperately needs to occur. Huge safety issues and what I think are years of piss poor management concerned with nothing more than the dollar bottom line. I think that you enter and stay at Oak Bottom campground you camp at your own risk !!! Just My Opinion.

Redding Police Officers take back South City Park , How about give back the restrooms?

Redding Mayor Rick Bosetti, Redding Police, and Record Searchlight Photographer at the take back the park event.

Many caring and compassionate individuals feel that local media has been creating as of late a dynamic that have folks hating the people who are being oppressed in our community and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.



The Redding Police Officers Association who wants the community to take back South City Park from the homeless and transients who use it daily and give it back to families, hosted  a daylong event Saturday that was marred by controversy, injury, and a lack of public attendance.

 

 

One must ask themselves, where do folks relieve themselves at this event, as the only public restroom was locked up tight and unusable for both event goers and homeless alike, a taste of what it is like in much of the downtown Redding area.

Much has been spoken of in the Redding area of the sex trade, and teen girls being forced to provide sex for pimps in the Redding California community. There are approximately 1.7 million homeless teens in the U.S. Often times young vulnerable populations of homeless teens can be found and targeted by these pimps in exactly where the Redding Police Officers Association wants to shoo them away from .... South City Park.


As a community, do we want to take back the park back from them? Is that the best we can do ?

Creating and spinning the dynamics of fear, unwarranted generalizations, and pushing the demonization of a population with no voice of their own spiritually weakens and degrades the community at large.


Perhaps the Redding City council and Police Department needs to rethink taking back anything from the homeless including their tents, sleeping bags and other personal possessions and survival gear and consider returning what you have taken for years now that may very well assist in their coming out of homelessness... Their dignity

 

Redding Homeless Outreach - Echoes of Calvary

Pastor Rod & Kay Kincaid

Echoes of Calvary

The Bible says faith without works is dead, so it is my pleasure to tell you of this Church who's faith is very much alive. On friday evenings  Echoes of Calvary invites their homeless friends to a picnic to spiritually and physically feed the poor and homeless of Redding and Shasta County California as well as give necessities away.

Men, Women, Families and Children are treated every friday in the park to a musical prayer and praise service followed by preaching from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then a delicious dinner is served.

"We believe that the "Church" has a much greater design and predestined purpose than just waiting for the 2nd coming, and that there is a fullness that God desires to reveal to hungry hearts and empty vessels."

Austen Phillips(Park Ministry)

Word is out about this powerful and encouraging Christian ministry "Preaching Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. " Donations for this charity are greatly needed. If you would like to help the homeless and volunteer to help the Park Ministry, or you are looking for a home church please contact them at Echoes of Calvary Church,  21132 Ronald St. Anderson CA, 96007  (530) 365-3233

Echoes of Calvary Church Online