Did Capitol Hill Vigilantes Steal a Memorial Bench?
Where a bench once stood in Turtle Park
Mary Wright, an ANC commissioner in 6B, has been trying to solve a crime. For some time now, she's been attempting to find out who stole benches from a tiny triangular patch of green located across the street from Eastern Market. "To my recollection, there were six," she says of the missing seating. Wright says the benches have been gone from the place known as Turtle Park for about a year.
Her top suspects aren't the kind Capitol Hillers are used to blaming, like the "loitering" juveniles ostensibly well-meaning neighbors rant about via listserv. No, Wright's suspects happen to be the well-meaning neighbors themselves.
"Neighbors around the area told me some other neighbors took the benches," she says.
And why would concerned citizens steal stuff from public land? To make it better, of course. Wright believes someone swiped the outdoor furniture in hopes of ridding the park of the homeless people who sometimes snooze on the equipment. Visiting the community, City Desk found others share her theory. (It has some historical roots—there was a similar dispute over alleged nuisance benches in Columbia Heights last year.)
Contacted about the theft, a flustered D.C. Parks and Recreation Department wasn't able to immediately figure out if Turtle Park ever had benches, much less where the missing ones got off to. "DPR will work with MPD and look into the situation," says spokesperson John Stokes. But a resident who earlier inquired to DPR about the benches tells Wright she got this message from the department: "The department does not know what happened to the benches. We did not remove them."
Scott Miller, who lives right around the corner from the park, remembers the benches, and noticed when they went away. No wonder: One of them stood in honor of his father. The bench, installed by his late mother, was placed in the park in 1986. "There was a memorial plaque on the back," Miller remembers.
This isn't the first time the bench went elsewhere. When it was first placed in the park, it vanished into a then-crime-plagued city. At that point, something surprising happened. "There was an outcry in the neighborhood," says Miller. Neighbors put up posters about the hijacked bench and what it meant to them. It worked. "Whoever took it had a guilty conscious or something," says Miller, because they brought it back.
After that, the bench was bolted down, he recalls. For over 20 years, it stood undisturbed. When the bench departed all over again in 2009, Miller was stunned. This time, there was no neighborhood outcry. Like Wright, Miller believes the park's benches were hauled away by his neighbors.
Some neighbors do miss the seating. James Goodwin, who lives two blocks from the oak tree shaded area, liked sitting on the now-vanished equipment. "It's nice over there," he says. Goodwin didn't mind sharing the park with the homeless. Told about rumors of bench-stealing neighborhood vigilantes, Goodwin doesn't have trouble imagining it. "Pretty typical I guess. People are pretty shallow."
4:56 pm
It happen over a year ago for Christ sake, MOVE ON!
6:34 pm
@ Magnus -- I guess we HAVE to move on. There's no place to sit here.
There has been a rash of these acts of official vandalism around snooty Eastern Market. When the benches in the triangle park kitty corner from Eastern Market Metro were replaced a few years ago, they soon disappeared again overnight. Some blamed the homeless but savvier detectives suggested it was enemies of the homeless who done it. Likely the latter: The deed was done with a Skil circular saw.
Leave the benches in the parks, people.
7:15 pm
@ Mangus:
Do you have to be insensitive about everything? You can be a douch sometimes. I pray that if a family member dedicates something in your honor and memory in an area where you enjoyed spending time that no one comes along and steals it in the middle of the night. BTW, one of the biggest muscles in your body is your heart. Get one!
10:01 pm
'Trulee Pist' and 'Isn't It Obvious', I am far from being insensitive, but I am a realist. This event happen over a YEAR ago!, it's gone!, Lassie is not coming home people!, life goes on, if you want to sit there so bad bring a folding chair! If this bench had so much sentamental value was it propery secured to the ground?
10:05 pm
Corrections: sentimental not sentamental and properly not propery.
8:19 am
"The bench, installed by his late mother, was placed in the park in 1986."
No wonder DPR doesn't know if it ever had benches - by their records, it may not have! Can citizens choose to bolt down furniture in memorial wherever they feel like it?
8:40 am
Rick Mangus is a loitering hater as always. At least this time he's not blaming a rape victim for getting raped.
9:00 am
I believe the city now installs a type of bench that discourages sleeping on them. (There are bumps between seats that discourage lying down on them.) Perhaps the city should just replace the benches with the more modern design.
9:01 am
If I remember correctly, this is the same neighborhood that got upset a few years ago over the location of a drop off box for clothes for the poor which was located behind the Eastern Market at 7th and C Sts. SE. The neighbors thought it was unsightly amd messy. Some of us had to sit through an ANC meeting while the pros and cons of the "box" were discussaed. Eventually the "box" disappeared.
NIMBY goes a long way especially when it has snob appeal!
9:42 am
Why should theft be excused? Is stealing a bench any different than stealing an Iphone on the metro? On a deeper level, this is one more attempt to remove the symptoms of poverty (homeless people finding a place to sleep) rather than treat the cause. The bench-stealer might have used his or her considerable planning ability and muscle in a more compassionate way, especially in the middle of a recession of epic proportion. Not everyone feels the effect of the crisis from the safety and distance of their air conditioned living rooms, some of us are lucky. But those who do bear the brunt may have done nothing wrong either - something to consider before committing such a selfish act.
10:34 am
Rick Mangus wrote: "If this bench had so much sentamental value was it propery secured to the ground?"
I guess you didn't bother to actually *read the article*, did you? The answer to that question was contained therein.
Jesus, what a douche.
10:58 am
On a deeper level, this is one more attempt to remove the symptoms of poverty (homeless people finding a place to sleep) rather than treat the cause. The bench-stealer might have used his or her considerable planning ability and muscle in a more compassionate way, especially in the middle of a recession of epic proportion.
Let me guess: you live in Reston Town Center, right?
Sorry, but until DC passes strictly enforced anti-public drunkenness laws, folks are going to have to do something about the puking, yelling, publicly urinating assholes themselves.
Sometimes irresponsible ass-wipes spoil it for everyone.
11:23 am
I'm pretty sure this site isn't under city/DPR jurisdiction; it appears to be under NPS jurisdiction. Which means, maybe NPS has the answer.....
1:52 pm
'Chris', I will try to explain this so you're limited education can comprehend, yes I did skim over this article because it is FULL of non-news BULLSHIT!
'skizzle', what the matter, did CP take away you man haters column from you, no more excessive writings about rape and grouping, TOO BAD! Like the people who are obsessing about this bench, you to should seek a psychiatrist!
2:14 pm
Classic Mangus! Thanks Rick for another hatin' comment. You reign supreme as City Papers' leading pointless-and-mean commenter. No one has done more to cheapen the concept of free speech than you. I'd suggest you use spellcheck but I prefer to see you mangle your words...it completes the picture of you sitting at your computer all flustered and steamed.
3:12 pm
'skizzle' go get a vibrator your too, too stressed out! By the way don't throw bombs unless you want to get dirty, sweetie!
4:13 pm
Rick, I can see you think I'm a woman and that you're pushing my buttons with your intentionally un-PC gibes. Sorry, I'm a dude and you're a pig. Anyway the stress is all on you, buddy. Only a supremely tense jerk would spend so much time trolling the city paper just to get attention. I'm sorry you were just left alone in your crib so much.
6:11 pm
'skizzle', I write a lot because I have been disabled and can't walk for now and the way you whine, male or female you still need a dildo, oh!, how "un-PC" of me!
7:19 pm
Rick, for a disabled dude you have an amazing lack of empathy. Ignorant bigots don't get a pass because they 'can't walk for now'. I wish you good health and that includes basic socialization skills. Also, you need to return that bench to Capitol Hill.
11:06 pm
'skizzle', How am I a BIGOT!, I would like to hear this one!
4:32 pm
I live just near this park and I don't recall ever having seen benches there, so I don't see how they can be missing. It's a great place to picnic and let the kids romp.
Maybe Scott Miller is thinking of another park. He could always make a donation to a homeless shelter in his father's name.
Is ANC an elected position? When is Mary Wright's term up?
9:32 pm
'Amanda Pennychurch', Yes to your question on the ANC and your right a donation would have been better and would have done some good!
3:48 pm
'skizzle', It's now been THREE DAYS since you made a STUPID comment about me being a bigot and I still have not received an answer to my question, DUMBASS COWARD!
12:55 am
we have to think about modern furniture it should be more comfortable to the arms and body before we purchase anything .It should be durable and with some months warranty.