Amador County - Hein & Company Bookstore in downtown Jackson was once again the target of vandalism, as evidenced by a shattered storefront window which occurred sometime during closing hours on Friday or Saturday. This destruction of property now occurs at the business on an almost monthly basis, according to co-owner Linda Hein. In an open letter circulated through email on July 4th, Hein said the “person or persons responsible obviously have no regard for the property of others, as is evidenced by overturned or broken planters, plants and dirt strewn on the sidewalks and streets, garbage ripped from the collection cans and littered up and down Main Street, and broken windows of businesses, which are very expensive to replace.” In addition to the property damage, Linda and her husband Wolf had to take Edgar, one of their friendly shop cats, to the veterinarian after his foot was sliced open on a piece of broken glass. That came at a cost of $318. Hein said these events are not “accidents.” She suspects the perpetrators are likely to frequent one of the two bars on Main Street, and take advantage of the fact that Jackson police do not have the funds to regularly patrol the area. She said they are “old hands” at making police reports about the incidents, but it is “next to impossible to even contact Jackson Police Department on a Saturday or Sunday morning, as any call made to them gets forwarded to the Sheriff.” As for installing cameras, Hein said that is beyond their means and posed the question: “How many cameras would be needed to cover the whole of Main Street?” Vandalism is becoming an all too common occurrence in downtown Jackson, an area already suffering from store closures and increasing blight. Numerous other businesses have reported property damage and break-ins. Cindy Turner, owner of Detailed Events, said her son’s former Main Street business was vandalized three times. Past acts of vandalism included graffiti and broken windows. In one incident, vandals cut the internet cable and rigged it to provide service to their residence, located behind the business. “I just see little business, no tourism and everyone downtown is really suffering,” said Turner. “None of that is good for the future,” she said. Eleanor Caputo, owner of the Studio 18 Gallery, said she has been the victim of frequent vandalisms, including a broken bench, ripped up flowers and broken bottles. Linda Hein suggests that merchants consider conducting stakeouts on Friday and Saturday nights. She asks: “Who thinks that a petition from all of the merchants might convince the city to give Main Street more coverage?” The issue of downtown revitalization is an ongoing topic at City meetings, and a façade improvement program is on the agenda for the Jackson Revitalization Committee meeting this Thursday, July 8 at 6 p.m. Hein said, “It sounds silly, but really, it's beginning to feel like if we don't protect ourselves, who will?” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wednesday, 07 July 2010 06:03
Vandalism at Jackson Bookstore Highlights Local Problem
Written by Tom-
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Amador County - Hein & Company Bookstore in downtown Jackson was once again the target of vandalism, as evidenced by a shattered storefront window which occurred sometime during closing hours on Friday or Saturday. This destruction of property now occurs at the business on an almost monthly basis, according to co-owner Linda Hein. In an open letter circulated through email on July 4th, Hein said the “person or persons responsible obviously have no regard for the property of others, as is evidenced by overturned or broken planters, plants and dirt strewn on the sidewalks and streets, garbage ripped from the collection cans and littered up and down Main Street, and broken windows of businesses, which are very expensive to replace.” In addition to the property damage, Linda and her husband Wolf had to take Edgar, one of their friendly shop cats, to the veterinarian after his foot was sliced open on a piece of broken glass. That came at a cost of $318. Hein said these events are not “accidents.” She suspects the perpetrators are likely to frequent one of the two bars on Main Street, and take advantage of the fact that Jackson police do not have the funds to regularly patrol the area. She said they are “old hands” at making police reports about the incidents, but it is “next to impossible to even contact Jackson Police Department on a Saturday or Sunday morning, as any call made to them gets forwarded to the Sheriff.” As for installing cameras, Hein said that is beyond their means and posed the question: “How many cameras would be needed to cover the whole of Main Street?” Vandalism is becoming an all too common occurrence in downtown Jackson, an area already suffering from store closures and increasing blight. Numerous other businesses have reported property damage and break-ins. Cindy Turner, owner of Detailed Events, said her son’s former Main Street business was vandalized three times. Past acts of vandalism included graffiti and broken windows. In one incident, vandals cut the internet cable and rigged it to provide service to their residence, located behind the business. “I just see little business, no tourism and everyone downtown is really suffering,” said Turner. “None of that is good for the future,” she said. Eleanor Caputo, owner of the Studio 18 Gallery, said she has been the victim of frequent vandalisms, including a broken bench, ripped up flowers and broken bottles. Linda Hein suggests that merchants consider conducting stakeouts on Friday and Saturday nights. She asks: “Who thinks that a petition from all of the merchants might convince the city to give Main Street more coverage?” The issue of downtown revitalization is an ongoing topic at City meetings, and a façade improvement program is on the agenda for the Jackson Revitalization Committee meeting this Thursday, July 8 at 6 p.m. Hein said, “It sounds silly, but really, it's beginning to feel like if we don't protect ourselves, who will?” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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