East Shore Fish Ban Causes a Splash

by Melissa Bailey | September 26, 2006 9:06 AM | | Comments (9)

This sign has changed a way of life in Morris Cove — and provoked a debate about outsiders, dog poop and fishing hooks at a community meeting Monday night.

At the Woodward Avenue police substation open house, 100 East Shore residents poured in the door to greet local cops and top brass in the latest stop on the police department’s meet-your-cop tour. The meeting also featured a heated neighborhood debate over a new fishing ban along the Pardee Sea Wall.

The Fishing Fight

John Lynk (pictured), a 61 year-old retiree who has lived his whole life in Morris Cove, is in a fierce battle with neighbors over how their local park, the Pardee Sea Wall, should be used. The issue has been simmering for three years and has recently exploded, drawing a crowd of 70 people to Morris Cove’s last management team meeting.

Neighbors, citing messy fish guts and fishing hooks that poked poodle’s paws, had petitioned Morris Cove Alderwoman Arlene DePino and the parks department in May to ban fishing in the park. (Click here to read their arguments in an earlier story). After months of deliberation, the parks department has finally issued a fishing ban. The ban — which covers the Pardee Sea Wall and also the Riverfront Park along Quinnipiac Avenue in Fair Haven — was approved a month ago, said DePino, who sits on the Parks Commission.

Lynk lives a short walk away from the waterfront park, a skinny stretch of grass and benches with views of the New Haven Harbor. He’s fished there all his life. Now his 12 year-old daughter and 7 year-old son have been carrying on the tradition.

About a month ago, Lynk walked to the seawall with his kids and encountered the sign shown at the top of this story. “When I went up there and my kids couldn’t fish, it hurt. I just went nuts.” Then he did some research and learned the other side’s arguments, which he called unfair.

“They’re talking about dogs stepping on fishing hooks. Meanwhile, there’s piles of dog poop” all over the park, said Lynk, smoking a cigarette outside the substation. After he found out about the ban, he put up a sign on his front lawn: “Give Our Sea Wall Back.” At the bottom, he gave an email address — ourseawall@hotmail.com. He says he has collected “hundreds” of signatures on a petition opposing the ban.

He’s also heard a great deal of backlash at that email address from those who see fishing, and the fishermen who’ve been drawn to the park, as a nuisance to quality of life. In recent years, more and more fishermen from other parts of town have been driving to the park to fish.

Neighbors at the Monday’s meeting, like Betty Feniolo (pictured at left), said before the ban, fishermen were parking on nearby streets and tossing beer bottles and sandwich wrappers by the side of the road. “They don’t belong here. It’s not an area to fish in. It was made as a walking area,” said Feniolo of the park.

Lynk says quality of life concerns aren’t the whole picture. The area is mostly Italian-American, and many of the fishermen are Hispanic. He says he’s gotten emails from fish-ban proponents referring to visiting fishermen as “inner city garbage.” “It’s a prejudiced bunch down there,” he said of his neighbors.

Lynk’s attitude towards those who may be dropping trash in the streets is not to ban them from the neighborhood, but to talk to them. During the summer, he was standing on Parker Place with some neighbors when a car full of visitors, who were Mexican, dropped some trash by the side of the street. His neighbor wanted to speed-dial Sgt. J. P. Kelly, the area’s much-loved district manager (pictured at top). Lynk said no — I’ll take care of it.

He walked up to the car and asked them not to leave trash in the street. They picked it up. “See? I don’t have any bullet holes in me,” he told his neighbors, walking back from the car. “I don’t care who comes into the neighborhood, but treat them with respect.”

Lynk is hopeful that neighbors’ problems could be solved through citizen-to-citizen dialogue instead of an outright ban. He vows to fight the ban: “There’s going to be a battle, and I’m not going to back down.”

Meanwhile, DePino says she’s gotten five phone calls from angry fishermen. The rest of the feedback has been positive. “Everyone says that the park has been much cleaner.” No more poodle’s paws have been punctured with hooks.

“It’s worked, and we didn’t even ban fishing in the neighborhood” — People can still fish nearby at the Fort Nathan Hale Park and Lighthouse Point. Though those parks close at sunset, she’s considering a compromise for those who might want to fish after dark: Installing lights on the Fort Hale fishing pier and extending the hours until 10 p.m.

“Screaming For More Cops”

Though East Shore hasn’t been struck by the shootings or street robberies that other districts have, neighbors are still echoing a call heard throughout the city: We want more cops on the streets and more community policing.

Clyde Riccio, who owns several properties in East Shore, walked up to Police Chief Cisco Ortiz at Monday’s open house. “I want you to have all you need. I want to see more cops, and more cars on the street!”

“More cops, yes, but not more cars,” said Ortiz, who’s been hearing how much people want walking beats.

“We’re outgunned here. I want a bigger budget in your department,” said Riccio.

“I think we’re going to get it,” said Ortiz.

As Ortiz noted, many of the 100 people who came through the door already had friendly working relationships with their district manager. Meetings like this one, where neighbors met a friendly new cop in every room, simply didn’t happen before community policing emerged 15 years ago, said Ortiz.

“Our local cops are fabulous,” said DePino. But “people want a stronger police presence — that’s a big issue. … The whole city is screaming for more cops on the beat and more community policing.”







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Comments

Posted by: Bruce | September 26, 2006 10:07 AM

Why are they screaming for more cops if they don't have the same uptick in crime as the rest of the city? I avoid walking alone at night any more in my neighborhood and I'm looking to move out of the city -- I pay obscenely high taxes and still people get held up with shotguns right down the block. The city needs to be judicious about where to apply additional resources as we are already overburdened.

Posted by: John from Morris Cove | September 26, 2006 2:33 PM

So you think the residents of Morris Cove have it better then other parts of New Haven? I think not, you don't have to leave my front yard to see the problems and safety issues in this area. Keeping ones head is the sand tends to obscure the veiw of whats really going on in any neighborhood. And, as far as high taxes the majority of Morris Cove families are homeowners who are paying very high taxes compared to other parts of the city.

Posted by: Bruce from East Rock | September 26, 2006 5:22 PM

"Though East Shore hasn't been struck by the shootings or street robberies that other districts have..."

All I'm saying is that the police should put increased protection where it is needed. I don't know what you see from your front yard that is not getting picked up in the police reports, but if crime is actually rising in Morris Cove then fine -- more police. I have no problem with that.

Homeowners in Morris Cove are taxed at the same (high) rate that everyone else in the city is. We're not exactly getting a free ride in my neck of the woods.

Posted by: B | September 27, 2006 9:23 AM

Bruce,
Moving out of the city is not the answer.
I too am concerned about the shotgun hold-ups etc. in East Rock and feel much more wary when I walk at night.
However, despite the crime upsurge, New Haven is definitely headed up not down.
We need to show the people that perform the muggings in the East Rock neighborhood, and other areas with populations capable of relocation, that we are unmoved by the behavior and it is our neighborhood despite the occasional mugging.
I am amazed by the amount of people that jog and walk their dogs at night in New Haven. If we start to hide inside at night, crime has won and it will become even more prevalent.
Maybe I'm stubborn but I love New Haven enough to not worry about it.

Posted by: TRACEY SUGGS | September 27, 2006 2:15 PM

John & Bruce i must jump in here i hear what you both saying and you both have a point. but who cares about property taxes at a time like this? why is that even being brought into discussion? we have kids killing kids and robbing people. true crime is spread across the city and no crime is a small crime whether it be a muggin or a simple slap across a face its still a crime. and the new haven area is getting hit the hardiest and needs that added protection more than any other area at the momment. i know because i felt it personally im smack dead in the middle of it all and i lost my 13 yr old to a drive by shooting that took place july 29th that child justus suggs was my child. i also lived just a few blocks from east shore before moving here a few yrs back and its not nearly as bad in crime as to where i am now. i too had planned to move from new haven. before the loss of my son to prevent losing any of my children, but i was leaving on my own. but if i leave now i will feel like i was ran off tail tucked and that i abandoned my child who lost his life here and i wont do either. i was born and raised here and so where my children. east shore is no less important then any other area. but lets keep it real how many of your children dying in east shore??? where are your drug dealers hanging on the corners?? when are you hitting the floors with your children cause their shooting out side your highly taxed property?? no disrespect to you but i would like to know?? we need that added police presence here in new haven. not debate of who pays what in property taxes so they need more police presence as well. is it your property you want to protect or is the future of our children?

Posted by: TSN | September 27, 2006 5:51 PM

The Cove is notorious for its racism. I am sure that is some of the motivation here. But at the root of it, is a lack of relationships. Introduce yourself, get to know the other person...you might be surprised what you might accomplish with a pleasant demeanor. Give it a try Cove, you might not feel so isolated.

Posted by: Bruce | September 28, 2006 4:16 PM

Tracey:

I am truly sorry for your loss. I know it sounds trivial to bring up property taxes at a time like this, but there is a good reason that they should be a part of this discussion. When taxes go up, people become less likely to buy a home in New Haven (price goes up, demand goes down). When less people move into New Haven, the tax base drops and then there are fewer people to pay for things like more police. Then taxes have to go up again and the cycle continues. I am not simply complaining about my personal expenses -- this is what drives people out of the city.

I thing we agree that money should be spent where it is most needed and that is all I am asking. I want the city to start growing again and more easily afford to keep everyone safe.

Again, I am sorry for your loss and I honestly didn't mean to disrespect anyone.

Posted by: charlie | September 28, 2006 5:43 PM

If the city wants more money, all it has to do is let developers build luxury housing downtown and stop mandating affordable units in every project. The city has already taken this into mind and is encouraging developers now, but they could do a lot more.

Although it's too late now, moving Gateway College downtown was a bad idea in that regard because the site could easily have been used for luxury condos.

Considering this fact, tearing down the subsidized housing units by the train station should be an immediate priority for the city, given that site's value as residential and commercial space. This was proposed five years ago - why hasn't it happened yet?

Posted by: B | September 29, 2006 9:59 AM

Charlie is absolutely right about the Jungle. The city needs to take some initiative and relocate this housing complex. The property value is way to high to be wasted on one of the worst housing projects in the city.
If we are going to be giving away valuable taxable properties away to Gateway then we can't afford to keep using valuable land for housing projects.

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