Rogers Park Pizzeria is a new business on Howard Street, offering a menu of sandwiches and pizza, whole or by the slice. Building clientele in any new business is dependent on many factors, one being location another being demographics. RP Pizzeria is on the corner of Howard and Marshfield, directly across the street from the future Gale Park Field House.
When I heard the "Roman Candle Star Wars Story", I stopped in to validate with the owner, Rob.( I also asked permission to post) Oh, yes, he said, “what you were told is true”. A neighborhood couple with an 8 month old baby had become regular customers. It’s a casual restaurant, so a baby in a stroller doesn’t pose any problem. The owners goal is to have a restaurant where people can sit down and enjoy their food.
The problem was posed by the kids outside who were chasing one another with fireworks, Roman Candles in particular. Repeatedly, Rob and his staff have dealt with unruly and/or rude kids both inside and outside the restaurant. Foul language, radios, extra loud talking will direct kids to the front door if the request to stop it isn’t respected. Or direct them to move if they’re in front of the restaurant.
The episode occurred about a week and a half ago in the escalating fireworks play by young people and adults NOH. The illegal activity was not restricted to the parks but played out on good ole Howard Street too. We all love the lights in the skies from Roman Candles, right? We don’t like them directed at our bodies though. But that’s how kids were playing the scenario on Howard and other streets. It is a ‘fun game’ of lighting the Roman Candle and aiming the shots of color bursts at one another.
When this fireworks activity started in front of the pizzeria, the offenders were told to leave because the doors were open to let the cool evening air in. Instead, the offending ones defiantly ignored the request and managed to aim one inside the open door. The young couple and their baby were inside as a flaming burst entered the pizzeria and narrowly missed the 8 month old baby.
Police were called, the offenders fled, the parents filed a complaint, and the mother allegedly inquired if she could see what the blue light camera on Howard had captured. Her request was not allowed. Let’s hope someone who is monitoring that camera is looking at captured photos.
Meanwhile, the owner and staff, are hopeful that the new field house will give the youth a place to learn how to burn off that negative energy in positive ways.
13 comments:
That sucks pond scum in a big way. Just because people want to act stupid is no reason to give them the tools to do so. I would love to believe the perps will be caught, but I have my doubts.
And if the baby had been struck and the perps arrested, what excuses would we have heard then? Rhetorical question, I can imagine the answers.
Rob stated he was asked if he attended CAPS meetings and that he should stop in. Meanwhile, if he's at a CAPS meeting, who's guarding the street? It's another vicious circle. Two of us in our building were in the back yard last night finishing a project and the bombs were deafening. The illegal noise continued till around midnight. If the cats were hiding under the rugs, imagine what little children or seniors were going through.
If a blue/white cruised by the noise stopped until the tail lights disappeared. Drug deals were going on blatantly too. But, what do a couple of women know?
If those kids are not caught using the blue light camera, then what point is there in having them?
I guess the baby would have to be maimed or killed for someone to care.
It's sad.
Hey,
That was me and my baby. Boy was I p#$$ed.
I have tried to get the blue light footage and was told to call back right after roll call at 6 or 7 am the next day! Like I have time for that. Apparently no one was on duty watching the camera.
I have effectively given up, but I know the kids face and next time I see him I am snapping his photo....
The pizza is great, this incident will not stop us from eating there and shopping on Howard.
I hope the pizzeria owner is successful in getting those kids to either behave or clear out. There are several businesses on Howard Street that I WILL NOT go into, no matter how good their product may be, because of the loitering that goes on around the buildings. As painful as it may be to some business owners and social commentators, law-abiding folk simply don't like to be around this kind of behavior. If businesses want the middle class (and their MONEY) to return to Howard Street, the owners and managers must be more proactive in shooing troublemakers along.
won't publish my comments anymore?
I guess they hurt your feelings. Censoring innocent comments is pretty pathetic.
Actually, it's harder on the cats and dogs than it is on any human, because these animals have such extremely acute hearing. They hear sounds way beyond our range, and the fireworks are absolute torture for them.
I was at a friend's place, and while we were merely annoyed by the noise, her dog was trembling like a leaf. She was in extreme distress, and hid under the furniture when we got her inside.
The only diff in that neighborhood, north center, is that the police responded quickly to our complaints. Here in RP the fireworks are low priority.
northofrogers, I wondered if that was you when I heard the description! Thanks for writing, maybe a call to the CAPS officers might help you.
Isaac, your comment was right on and just so you know, I was busy all day on another project. So can you calm down with the censorship stuff? When you're making sense and on the subject, and not being super nasty, I'm not going to interfere in the dialogue.
Thanks for the comment. If the lights aren't being monitored, you're right, what good are they?
So...they don't monitor the blue light camera on Howard street next to Gale during fireworks season?
Ooops. I think they accidently admitted those "cameras" are nothing more than empty boxes with a flashing light on top....
Sorry Toni,
but you have censored me before and ridiculed me on fireworks!
Isaac, you see it your way, I see it mine. You mentioned in a comment I accidentally deleted the extremely high temps that sparklers burn.
In case you hadn't noticed, I've been criticized for 'complaining' at all! I've already explained the 'censorship' as you choose to call it a few posts before this one. Keep it civil, don't be super nasty unless it's a bad politician and his/her clingers on, and or bad policies, and we'll be ok.
This incident is absolutely abominable!
Thank God the baby wasn't hurt! I heard about it before I had a chance to read this post, and I can't stop thinking about it.
So many children these days are unaware of the possible consequences of their actions -- and so are adults. Respect, responsibility and a little self-restraint aren't things that kids learn on their own. They have to be taught, and it's one of the primary jobs of parents. The rest of us need to be involved, too. It's time for people to take their role in monitoring the behavior of underage children, at the very least.
Way back, any adult could talk to a child who was doing something dangerous. No, they didn't always listen, but often they did. But respecting a store owner's request to stop dangerous activity, or at least leave on request, is something that should be taught at home.
When a store owner speaks up, every adult nearby should support the shopkeeper, visibly and vocally. It shouldn't be the store owners alone who end up policing the street. It's up to all of us.
For all dangerous activity, this goes without saying. It can extend a little further -- bad language, trashing things, etc. I'm not suggesting infringement of any child's civil rights, just talking about holding them to some minimal standard of civilized behavior.
If they aren't learning things at home, the rest of us have to help. Sooner or later they will get it, especially if the adults who speak to them do it in a civil, respectful manner. If they are addressed rudely and meanly, they have no reason to comply.
That's just my two cents, from experience.
I love Tony's approach of talking to the kids about activities at the community center. She makes it clear that she cares.
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