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Middletown Considers Changes For Spear Park

Public indecency, drunkenness and fist fights: all problems that have Middletown officials scrambling to make some changes at Main Street’s Spear Park. Mi...

Public indecency, drunkenness and fist fights: all problems that have Middletown officials scrambling to make some changes at Main Street’s Spear Park.

Middletown police have hired more officers over the last couple of years. And, those assigned to the Main Street beat have been put to good use with the park problems.

Spear Park has been a daily hangout for over 30 years for some. But, over the last two years, things have changed.

“Everybody was good,” said Terrence Nelson, who has frequented the park since the 1970’s. “Now, it’s all screwed up.”

With the warmer weather have come problems.

“They drink a little vodka or whatever they drink and they start pushing each other’s buttons,” said another park patron, who wished to remain anonymous.

Police seemingly make daily appearances at the park. Sometimes it’s for fights. Often, those struggling with simply standing up must be tended to.

These problems have spilled onto the property of the neighboring historical society.

“For awhile, there were people were using our back yard as their toilet,” said Deborah Shapiro, Director of the Middlesex County Historical Society.

And, before they hold any outdoor events, Shapiro’s staff has to go out and clean up the yard.

“We have found needles on our property,” added Shapiro, who said cases of empty wine bottles and alcohol nips also litter their property with some regularity.

The Historical Society says they’ve even had to take measures like erecting gates to keep people from coming onto the property and sleeping underneath what used to be a stable

Most people congregate in the back of Spear Park, with trees and a non functioning water fountain obstructing the view from the road.

“What we’re gonna do is remove some of the obstructions, some of the older structures that are creating line of sight problems, from the street,” said second term mayor, Dan Drew.

Drew says there’s also a possibility that the park could be bulldozed in favor of a parking lot. But, a decision won’t likely be made for a month or two.

Public indecency, drunkenness and fist fights: all problems that have Middletown officials scrambling to make some changes at Main Street’s Spear Park.

Middletown police have hired more officers over the last couple of years. And, those assigned to the Main Street beat have been put to good use with the park problems.

Spear Park has been a daily hangout for over 30 years for some. But, over the last two years, things have changed.

“Everybody was good,” said Terrence Nelson, who has frequented the park since the 1970’s. “Now, it’s all screwed up.”

With the warmer weather have come problems.

“They drink a little vodka or whatever they drink and they start pushing each other’s buttons,” said another park patron, who wished to remain anonymous.

Police seemingly make daily appearances at the park. Sometimes it’s for fights. Often, those struggling with simply standing up must be tended to.

These problems have spilled onto the property of the neighboring historical society.

“For awhile, there were people were using our back yard as their toilet,” said Deborah Shapiro, Director of the Middlesex County Historical Society.

And, before they hold any outdoor events, Shapiro’s staff has to go out and clean up the yard.

“We have found needles on our property,” added Shapiro, who said cases of empty wine bottles and alcohol nips also litter their property with some regularity.

The Historical Society says they’ve even had to take measures like erecting gates to keep people from coming onto the property and sleeping underneath what used to be a stable

Most people congregate in the back of Spear Park, with trees and a non functioning water fountain obstructing the view from the road.

“What we’re gonna do is remove some of the obstructions, some of the older structures that are creating line of sight problems, from the street,” said second term mayor, Dan Drew.

Drew says there’s also a possibility that the park could be bulldozed in favor of a parking lot. But, a decision won’t likely be made for a month or two.

Spear Park Middletown

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