I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July, Independence Day, weekend.

This is an "I gotta complain" day. I have quite a few things that are bugging me and I want to share. I was taught that it is good to share.

You've already heard my complaints about the new homeless that have moved in across the street from me. Well, there is one lady in the group that has that darn barking dog, and she talks non-stop at all hours. She awakened me at 4 AM. She was arguing with a young man & she was LOUD. She uses the F word a lot, she tends to talk loud and she is usually angry.

I walked along E street yesterday, early afternoon. I was on the north side of the street, just across 8th. The entire block is a parking structure. The awful odor hit me right after I crossed the street. Human waste is such a pronounced, identifiable smell. The homeless expansion includes the north side of E, between 8th & 7th. I still believe that the many issues with the increase in homelessness must include health risks. The Health Dept. apparently disagrees.

Can our City Council request a Health Dept. assessment of the areas where the homeless collide with apartments, shelters (Rachel's), well traveled areas (Library & Post Office)??

Why can't the City continue the winter shelter tent all year long? I am sure it is a matter of cost. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. Planning ahead is great but NOW there is a dire need for action.

Whatever happened to polite? Seems like a "lost art". I walk to and from Padres games. There are several areas of the sidewalk that are narrow & can accomodate only 2 people across. So, two people are walking north, one person going south. The two make no effort to move. I step off the sidewalk to let them pass! Happens all the time. And it is always people under 30 years of age. I admit to being poor at guessing ages, but I will stick with that one.

Skateboards are dangerous. Again, the skateboarders are usually under 30. The "sport" is rife with possibilities for injury and it is noisy. Walking along Fifth the other evening, nearing an intersection when a skateboarder came roaring out of nowhere, lost control in the presence of many people, the skateboard went flying and landed in the street. Somehow the "driver" managed to stay on his feet and uninjured. He grabbed the skateboard and headed across the street, riding the board. No one in this group of strangers waiting for the light moved or said a word. We were shocked. Then, we started talking. One gentleman said skateboards should not be legal modes of transportation & should not be allowed in areas of high foot traffic. In fact, they should be confined to skateboard parks.

Then there are laundry rooms and the people who use them. The rooms seem to be a "last on the list" cleaning job. They are almost always a mess. Some in the apartment complex think they are the only ones with dirty clothes. They put their stuff in the washer or dryer and just leave it, sometimes overnight. Just plain inconsiderate.

Trash. People leave trash on the sidewalk, when a trashcan is a few steps away. Some toss stuff from the car. My favorite is those who toss their garbage in the trash room area where there is a chute. Maybe they've never seen a chute, don't know what it is, or expect their Mom to come over and pick it up! Some even think that garden areas are beer can/bottle receptacles.

Message to Aquafina water: the eco bottles are a great attempt at conservation and I applaud your efforts. The problem is that the flexible bottle does not allow any resistance to open the top. Since the bottles collapses, as the top is being twisted, water is spilling out.

I feel so much better now.

So long