The primary Music within the Park occasion of the season on Could 3 in Wrenn Miller Park was marred by an altercation between City of Jamestown employees and environmentalists.
A video posted on Fb reveals City Supervisor Matthew Johnson and Parks and Recreation Director Scott Coakley calmly asking two moms twice to go away after they had been handing out bottled water and flyers describing the water circumstances within the city. Free water would reduce down on gross sales from the meals distributors on the occasion.
When requested what they had been doing unsuitable and why they had been being requested to go away, he stated, “I don’t owe you an evidence. When you don’t deal with this and transfer on, I’m going to have the Sheriff’s Division transfer you out of right here.
“The City of Jamestown believes that the protection and safety of its residents is paramount,” Johnson stated in a press release to the Jamestown Information. “Through the Music within the Park occasion on Friday, Could 3, the City employees responded to studies of people handing out each flyers and a liquid with non-descript labels. City Parks & Recreation employees coordinate distributors and friends for the Music within the Park occasions and these are by invitation solely.
“As has been performed previously, when uninvited individuals try and vend or distribute objects on the occasion, they are going to be requested to go away. Legislation enforcement employees on obligation through the occasion serve to make sure the protection and safety of attendees from undesirable solicitors who’re harassing patrons of the occasion.”
A number of the supporters, nonetheless, had a unique view of occasions.
Krisdena Reeser identified that Wrenn Miller Park was a public park and the Music within the Park occasion had been publicly introduced. She famous in an e mail to the Jamestown Information that cash from the Parks and Recreation Belief Fund was used to assemble Wrenn Miller and “the City of Jamestown has obtained nearly $200,000 in PARTF grants. These monies include the stipulation [from N.C. Parks] that Wrenn Miller Park should stay open for public leisure use, and with out restrictions, together with membership.”
The moms weren’t in the midst of the actions.
“The actual fact [is] that we discovered a patch of grass away from the festivities and peacefully sat with indicators that stated ‘What’s in your tapwater?,’ ‘N.C. Ranks third nationally for Highest Focus of 1,4-Dioxane Guilford County — Highest in Our State,’ and handouts of the NCDEQ’s press launch, dated Could 1, 2024 and free water.
“We didn’t method or harass individuals in any means and demonstrates we had been doing nothing unsuitable.”
“Matthew Johnson knew we had been coming,” stated Katie Gumerson, founding father of Jamestown United and Supporter/Contributor to The Jamestowner 501c. “He marched over to us, not more than 5 minutes after we arrived. We hadn’t handed out one single bottle of water but. We hadn’t handed out a single copy of the press launch from the NCDEQ. We had been there to share data. To not trigger battle.
“I simply wish to assist illustrate how silly this complete factor is … two mothers sharing water and easy copies of the NCDEQ press launch IF and solely IF individuals needed to know extra. We weren’t pushing data. We had been barely there.
“The city’s dedication to close us down and make a mockery of information-sharing is thoughts blowing.”
There doesn’t seem like a City ordinance towards distributing flyers in public locations however many cities in the USA require these planning to distribute to contact the town/city corridor for permission. Within the video, linked right here, Johnson is seen telling the moms, “Transfer on. That is our occasion, you didn’t ask permission to be right here.”
Reeser and Gumerson are a part of a bunch that believes the City of Jamestown is overlaying up the group’s findings relating to the environmental issues within the city. Extra of their feedback will likely be in subsequent week’s Jamestown Information.
