Skip to content
NOWCAST WLKY News at 9:00am
Live Now
Advertisement

Jefferson Memorial Forest closing portion of park early in response to continuous vandalism

Jefferson Memorial Forest closing portion of park early in response to continuous vandalism
WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS CRAZY BEHAVIOR. FOR THE PAST MONTH NEIGHBORS OF THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FOREST TERRINE RESERVATION SAY THAT THEY’VE NOTICED SOME SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY GOING ON AT THE PARK AND AS A RESULT THE PARK WILL NOW BE CLOSING EARLY AND NEIGHBORS SAY IT’S A BIG DEAL. I MEAN, IT’S ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT, YOU KNOW, BILL CASEY LIVES NEAR JEFFERSON. MEMORIAL FOREST THAT’S WHEN CARS COME THROUGH HERE. I MEAN, OF COURSE THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SHINING IN MY WINDOW. SO HE’S WITNESSED BEER CANS BOTTLES AND EVEN SHELL CASINGS FROM BULLETS FIRED NEAR THE PARKS ENTRANCE LOT NOT PICK THOSE UP PROBABLY. HONORED I DON’T KNOW DIFFERENT SIZES. BUT I MEAN PROBABLY 10 TIMES SINCE I’VE BEEN UP HERE, WE’VE ONLY BEEN UP HERE JUST OVER A YEAR. CASEY SAYS HE AND OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE REPORTED THE INCIDENTS TO THE PARK AND AS A RESULT, THE PARK IS POSTED SIGNS STATING THAT THE HAREEN RESERVATION WILL NOW CLOSE AT 7:30 PM. WHICH CASEY SAYS HE HOPES IS JUST THE START. WELL, I THINK PUTTING UP THE SIGNS IS A GOOD FIRST START. ANYWAY, I MEAN BECAUSE I ASK HIM I WAS LIKE, OKAY. WELL YOU GUYS GONNA LOCK THE GATE OR CASEY SAYS HE HASN’T SEEN THE GATE CLOSED OR LOCKED SINCE THE SIGNS WENT UP OVER A WEEK AGO METRO COUNCILMAN FOR THE DISTRICT MARK FOX WHO AS A FORMER LMPD OFFICER USED TO PATROL THE AREA. IT’S A REMOTE AREA AND REMOTE AREAS DRAW PEOPLE WITH WITH SOMETIMES BAD INTENTIONS, YOU KNOW, OR AT LEAST WANT TO GET OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE AND ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED AT NIGHT. AND BAT IT IS FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO REPORT ISSUES. KEEP AN EYE OUT CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT. GET THEM UP HERE. CALL THE PARKS THE NEXT DAY. TELL THEM WHAT YOU SAW AND WILL ALL PUT FORTH OUR BEST EFFORT TO KEEPING IT, YOU KNOW EXACTLY THE WAY WE WANT IT FROM JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FOREST. I’M ADDY MINERS WLKY NEWS AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER AT JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FOREST SAYS THE CLOSURE DOES NOT IMPACT CAMPERS WITH A CAMPGROUND PERMIT OR PEOPLE RENTING THE CONFERENCE CENTER HOURS IN OTH
Advertisement
Jefferson Memorial Forest closing portion of park early in response to continuous vandalism
Neighbors of the Jefferson Memorial Forest's Horine Reservation said it's been a busy few weeks around the area."I mean, cars are coming all hours of the night," said Bill Casey, a neighbor to the reservation. "When they come the headlights shine right into my window. And sometimes they're really loud cars, like they have their music turned up."Casey said he walks his dogs daily at the park, and he's found a lot of litter in the parking lot including beer cans, liquor bottles, and even shell casings from bullets."I've picked those up, probably 10 times, since I've been up here," said Casey, who added that he has found handfuls of them.He and his wife moved to their current home just over a year ago. The park has responded to the neighbors' and parkgoers concerns by closing the park early. It was previously open from dawn until dusk, but now, the Horine Reservation portion of the park will close at 7:30 pm. The rest of the park will remind open until dusk. The district's Metro Councilman Mark Fox said it's pretty typical for parks to see disturbances like these."It's a remote area. And remote areas draw people with sometimes bad intentions, you know, or at least want to get out of the public eye," Fox said.However, Fox added that he wants to encourage members of the community to continue to report issues."Keep an eye out, call law enforcement, get them up here. Then, call the park the next day, tell them what you saw," Fox said. "We all have to put forth our best effort to keep it exactly the way we want it."The councilman adds that the Jefferson Memorial Forest did recently receive $1 million from the Metro Council's budget to further its master plan.Fox said the money is not allocated to the Horine Reservation specifically but will go where it's needed in other parts of the park."The opportunities are there," Fox. "It's going to take this place to the next level." As for Casey and other neighbors of the park, they hope the park's plan of closing early will help keep the unwanted visitors away.

Neighbors of the Jefferson Memorial Forest's Horine Reservation said it's been a busy few weeks around the area.

"I mean, cars are coming all hours of the night," said Bill Casey, a neighbor to the reservation. "When they come the headlights shine right into my window. And sometimes they're really loud cars, like they have their music turned up."

Advertisement

Casey said he walks his dogs daily at the park, and he's found a lot of litter in the parking lot including beer cans, liquor bottles, and even shell casings from bullets.

"I've picked those up, probably 10 times, since I've been up here," said Casey, who added that he has found handfuls of them.

He and his wife moved to their current home just over a year ago.

The park has responded to the neighbors' and parkgoers concerns by closing the park early. It was previously open from dawn until dusk, but now, the Horine Reservation portion of the park will close at 7:30 pm. The rest of the park will remind open until dusk.

The district's Metro Councilman Mark Fox said it's pretty typical for parks to see disturbances like these.

"It's a remote area. And remote areas draw people with sometimes bad intentions, you know, or at least want to get out of the public eye," Fox said.

However, Fox added that he wants to encourage members of the community to continue to report issues.

"Keep an eye out, call law enforcement, get them up here. Then, call the park the next day, tell them what you saw," Fox said. "We all have to put forth our best effort to keep it exactly the way we want it."

The councilman adds that the Jefferson Memorial Forest did recently receive $1 million from the Metro Council's budget to further its master plan.

Fox said the money is not allocated to the Horine Reservation specifically but will go where it's needed in other parts of the park.

"The opportunities are there," Fox. "It's going to take this place to the next level."

As for Casey and other neighbors of the park, they hope the park's plan of closing early will help keep the unwanted visitors away.