GLENDALE BEGGING PROBLEM IN PAST PANHANDLING LAW SOLVED TROUBLES.Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer GLENDALE- Unemployed and recently evicted, Paul Morales has been living on the streets for more than a month. Despite an ordinance A law, statute, or regulation enacted by a Municipal Corporation. An ordinance is a law passed by a municipal government. A municipality, such as a city, town, village, or borough, is a political subdivision of a state within which a municipal corporation has been adopted by the City Council just over a year ago meant to crack down on panhandling, Morales considers Glendale among the best places around Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to be homeless - thanks to Glendale's Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. . ``I know people who come from back East 'cuz of the weather and the food here,'' Morales said. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Morales and others, begging has little to do with the homeless existence in Glendale. And after an initial outcry when the panhandling ordinance passed, not much has changed for the hundreds of people living on Glendale's streets, said Tracy Fletcher, director of community services for the Salvation Army. ``The people that are homeless that panhandle panhandle, in geography, a strip of land projecting from the main body of an area and shaped like the handle of a pan, such as the panhandles of West Virginia, Texas, and Alaska. make up a very small percentage of Glendale's homeless,'' Fletcher said. The 2002 ordinance made panhandling after dark in public parking lots or near banks illegal, and banned all ``aggressive'' soliciting. Those in violation could face fines of up to $500 and six months in jail. Without the ordinance, police could only warn panhandlers to move on to other areas, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Mark Hansen. Since the ordinance passed - and after an initial grace period when police educated panhandlers about the new laws New Laws: see Las Casas, Bartolomé de. - panhandling has become a nonissue non·is·sue n. A matter of so little import that it ought not to become a focus of controversy and comment: She felt that the matter of her attire should have been a nonissue. , according to City Councilman Dave Weaver
The Weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which breed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical . ``There were complaints about panhandling and we've dealt with them,'' Weaver said. ``Since then, I haven't heard a word about it.'' For Morales and other homeless folks eating lunch at the Salvation Army one day last week, the ordinance wasn't even a blip on their radar screen. Glendale, they said, is a better place to live than almost anywhere else because of free food, good weather and safe streets, Morales said. ``Glendale is very sympathetic to the homeless. The community puts tremendous resources into helping people who really want to change their lives,'' Fletcher said. The Salvation Army serves free lunches six times a week, feeding about 100 people per day. It also provides beds to the homeless during the winter months, and year- round for those trying to recover from addiction, Fletcher said. ``The community is trying to balance the needs of the homeless with public safety,'' Fletcher said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Paul Morales relaxes after a meal at the Salvation Army's Lord's Kitchen, which feeds the homeless. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion