If I read the lead article in Friday’s ADN, the Sundown Solstice Festival, which is organizing a music festival in Cuddy Park in June, gave notice to the Municipality a year ago, paying $25,000 to rent the park, yet no one in charge of either the Municipality’s contract or the evacuation of Sullivan Arena knew about it? Give me a break.
Alexis Johnson, who knew to order the abatement, must have known about the summer use of the park when the Sullivan Arena was emptied and that six weeks hence, the park would be off-limits to anyone for camping purposes. My reasoning: It takes time and planning to organize enough municipal staff to perform and monitor the abatement — all the while, people were visibly moving into Cuddy Park.
This entire situation should have been mitigated by those in charge if they had treated the houseless with dignity, consideration, and forethought — or better, had their own acts together.
Without actual planning for the festival’s use of the park, the thoughtless acts of those in charge are nothing less than cruel and abusive.
— Louise Lazur
Anchorage
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