Due to sexual and illegal activity in the bathrooms at Ross Point Riverside Park, in the City of Holly Hill Florida, and without any input from citizens tore down the park bathrooms Monday. Where will people go to the bathrooms now? Right up the street to Sunrise Park where the city commissioners Rick Glass, Donnie Moore, John Penny, and Liz Towsley Patton, Mayor Roy Johnson, City Manager James McCroskey, and Holly Hill Police Department Chief of Police Mark Barker have ignored complaints from local businesses and citizens who have reported sexual and illegal activity there, drug dealing and advertised drug rehab meetings sponsored by Daytona AA and Daytona NA.
It is obvious it is who you know in the City of Holly Hill Fl, to get anything done! If it were not for the complaints from fancy Bed and Breakfast The River Lily Inn directly across the street from Ross Point Park, I doubt these bathrooms would ever have been torn down. The River Lily Inn is well connected in Holly Hill circles and was successful in solving their problems with the park bathrooms.
You should not have to own a fancy B&B or be Marina Grande On The Halifax to get the city to listen! Citizens have had death threats, and continue to be harassed from Daytona AA and NA members, and continue to have meetings in Sunrise Park, Holly Land Park and Centennial Park despite complaints from locals. They refuse to pay rent, they just take over and tell people ‘we are having a meeting’.
When locals have complained about drug dealing, sexual activity and having court ordered felons in our playgrounds via AA/NA meetings in Sunrise Park, Police Mark Barker has been dismissive. Formal complaints have been filed with the State of Florida against the Holly Hill Police Department in 2011 in reference to these matters. Yet still nothing is done about these complaints.
So I would ask the City Manager James McCroskey, and his good buddy Police Chief Mark Barker how are they going to deal with the soon to be ever increasing problems in our other parks now that they tore down Ross Point’s bathrooms? Mind you the Holly Hill Police Department is only blocks away from Sunrise Park, Hollyland Park and Centennial Park. Even with such close proximity, Holly Hill PD could not get a handle on the sexual deviants at Ross Point, even after they did do a sex sting in 2011 busting retired Catholic priest Paige Blakely.
There has been crimes of rape in Centennial Park & Sunrise Park along with other crimes like car break-ins. Is Holly Hill going to tear down those bathrooms too because they can’t handle the few parks with bathrooms? Check out Centennial Park on Saturday night at 7:30 PM when Daytona Narcotics Anonymous ‘Third Tradition’ has sometimes over 100 people having a meeting without any permit, fees and against zoning ordinances. They illegally park on the sides of the roads, making for a very hazardous condition. They take take over the park, and all of the available parking.
Also on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. we have a Daytona Beach Narcotics Anonymous meetings ‘Just For Today’ at Hollyland Park, and ‘Sunrise Group’ The Volusia County Intergroup AA meeting at 9:00 am Sunday morning at Sunrise Park. Why don’t they have meetings in the parks of Daytona Beach where AA and NA have their headquarters? Because Daytona Beach won’t tolerate their behavior and refusal to pay rent! Most at these meetings are NOT tax paying Holly Hill citizens. They are from Daytona and Ormond for the most part.
I guess the new City Manager and commissioners are getting spoiled with passing things through on the consent agenda. Now they even skip that formality and just do what the hell they want to do, and are starting to destroy buildings without input from tax paying citizens! How much did those bathrooms cost to build in the first place? Now even the bathrooms next to the Marina Grande On The Halifax, Daytona Beach-Holly Hill are always closed to please the MG on the Halifax developers. Again, the Marina Grande On The Halifax Condo developers have influence in Holly Hill Florida. Yet the citizens continue to be ignored.
Maybe River Lily Inn and the developers of the Marina Grande On The Halifax, can also convince the Holly Hill PD to do something about the growing crime in general in Holly Hill Florida. It seems the City Commissioners just want to keep telling the Police Department what a fine job they are doing, when in reality they are the laughing stock of local citizens and of nearby city police departments.
Check out this video taken April 24th 2012 of the Holly Hill Commission meeting discounting concerns by citizens of the increasing crime, and instead continue telling the Holly Hill PD what a fine job they are doing! What a slap in the face to the community!
http://www.justin.tv/cityofhollyhill/b/316201474
Let’s see positive changes in November 2012, and see crime in our parks taken seriously.
Holly Hill Razes Bathrooms At Riverside Park
By CHRIS GRAHAM, Staff writer May 16, 2012 12:05 AM
Holly Hill officials have torn down the bathrooms in Ross Point Park, a move some hope will flush out illegal activity in the area.But City Manager James McCroskey said that’s not the reason officials closed the facilities.”We’re planning to build a sun shelter,” he said Tuesday.McCroskey said the decision was made months ago to shutter the bathrooms, demolish the facility and build a shelter later this year at the park off Riverside Drive near Sixth Street.Staff members are responsible for daily maintenance of more than a dozen bathrooms throughout the city, and McCroskey said he wanted to consolidate their duties.The item will be added to the 2012-13 budget and it will be up to the City Commission to approve the construction of the shelter, McCroskey said.”It will be a place to get some families out of the sun,” he said, noting there are other such shelters in Centennial Park and nearby Sunrise Park, which has bathrooms.
But shutting down the bathrooms at Ross Point will hopefully cut down on a number of problems reported at the park, said Mayor Roy Johnson.
“We’ve had lots and lots of complaints,” he said. “I think the only thing they could do was shut it down.”
In years past, Holly Hill police have conducted stings in response to complaints of sex acts being performed in the bathrooms.
In November 2011, New Smyrna Beach resident Paige Blakely, a retired Catholic priest and former pastor at a DeBary church, was one of six men arrested after exposing himself to an undercover officer, according to an arrest affidavit. According to court records, prosecutors deferred a case against Blakely as part of an agreement.
Johnson said police can’t arrest anyone unless they’re caught in the act. Taking away the bathrooms should take away the temptation, Johnson said.
“It’s a good way of not having things that are immoral around children,” he said.
McCroskey said he’s heard rumors of sex acts occurring in the bathrooms but he said he doesn’t think it’s limited to Ross Point Park or the city.
“Every place has the potential of having that problem, but I don’t think it’s unique to Holly Hill,” he said.
Daytona News May 14th 2012
DAYTONA BEACH NEWS JOURNAL MAY 14TH
Holly Hill Demolishing Ross Point Park Restrooms Holly Hill, FL- Crews were out Monday afternoon, taking heavy equipment to the bathrooms at Holly Hill’s Ross Point Park. Back in November, six men were arrested as part of a sex sting revolving around those bathrooms.
Holly Hill Police Chief Mark Barker said after the sting that he planned on asking the city to change the washroom to a ‘single-use facility’ to limit sexual activity there. Calls to the City Manager’s office requesting comment were not immediately returned.
TV Coverage about sex perverts at Ross Point Park and how people can go up the street to Sunrise Park now! Thanks guys, thats all we need is more sex perverts and court mandated criminals at Sunrise Park.
Click on link below-
Photo after the bathrooms were torn down without citizen input! Which Park will the perverts go to now? ON the news they mentioned Sunrise Park right up the street!
No charges filed against ex-Holly Hill commissioner in Sex Abuse investigation
By Chris Graham
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, April 19, 2013
Prosecutors will not file charges against former Holly Hill City Commissioner Rick Glass following more than year-old allegations he sexually abused a disabled person, according to a spokeswoman for the State Attorney’s Office.
No information was filed this week against Glass, who now works for Holly Hill’s public works department, because “there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt” a crime had been committed, spokeswoman Klare Ly wrote in an email Friday.
Reached by phone Friday, Glass said he had not heard of charges not being filed.
“I’d rather not comment” until I do, he said.
Glass was fired from the Arc of Volusia — formerly known as the Association for Retarded Citizens — after allegations he sexually abused a 41-year-old disabled woman. According to a report from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the incident, described as a “potentially inappropriate sexual encounter,” was discovered by a Department of Environmental Protection officer in October 2011.
The suspect’s name was blacked out in the report provided after The News-Journal inquired about the case. The Department of Children & Families confirmed at the time that Glass was under investigation for an incident at Arc.
Glass was first elected commissioner in 2007 but did not run for re-election in 2012. Penny Currie replaced him as representative for District 2. He started working for the city this year as a small equipment mechanic with an annual salary of $24,641.
City Manager Jim McCroskey, who hired Glass to the city position, said Friday the case shows people are “innocent until proven guilty.”
“It’s over with and I’m sure Mr. Glass is happy,” he said.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130419/NEWS/130419729/1040?Title=No-charges-filed-against-ex-Holly-Hill-commissioner-in-sex-abuse-investigation
Looks like Holly Hill is trying to keep our parks cleaner with the new no smoking rules.
Many people saw AA Daytona Beach members this morning still smoking even after the new signs were put in. There was quite a few this morning smoking and littering. Unbelievable! I hope Holly Hill does not tolerate this. They have used and abused this park for years with no accountability. This needs to change.
Here is Jason Sparks 37, that was recently arrested on September 19th 2012 for grand theft and dealing in stolen property. Jason had been harassing citizens in the park for months now. It looks like it finally caught up with him! A relief for those that visit Sunrise Park! This is the same Jason Sparks that got caught stealing from the Holly Hill River Mart and has been trespassed from there. Plus multiple complaints from citizens about his behavior in the park.
Here is the arrest info below-
Booking Number 884109
First Name Jason
Last Name SPARKS
Date of Birth Jan 5, 1975
Race W
Sex M
Book date 9/19/12
Inmate Status In Custody
General Offense Code 1.)DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY
2.) GRAND THEFT – $300 – < $5,000
Arrest Type ONV
Offense Date 8/29/12
Agency Report Number 120003519
Case Number 2012 035379 CFAES
safepark
on August 26, 2012 at 2:45 PM said:
If someone approaches you in a park, zeroing in on you being overly friendly and trying too hard to gain your trust too quickly , beware!
There is a difference between a friendly encounter and conversation between strangers in a public place and a stranger spending a lot of time and energy trying to get too close to quick!
We have had complaints of individuals who seem unusually, aggressively friendly and attach themselves to people in the park. They then try to act like a friend to get in your car or get invited to your house. This probably would not seem normal because is not normal.
Many trusting people have been taken in by individuals like this only to find that things have come up missing. Please use good judgment when it comes to people trying to get too close too quick!
When people in a community look out for one another in a natural and respectful way they get a sense of what seems out of place and can take appropriate action when necessary. Consider networking with other people in your Park to form a sort of neighborhood watch of some kind. This can be extremely helpful!
If you feel that someone is acting suspiciously or approaching you and talking to you more than you like, just let them know you would appreciate being left alone. If they continue talking to you after you have asked them to leave you alone, let them know that they are harassing you.If they do not stop, simply call the police.
youtoo?
on August 14, 2012 at 10:43 AM said:
What’s really going on? Click on this North Carolina Public Safety website.
http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffender.do?method=view&offenderID=1099602&searchLastName=sparks&searchFirstName=jason&searchMiddleName=s&listurl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1
IT’S NO WONDER WHY HOLLY HILL CITY PARKS, LIKE ROSS POINT PARK WHICH IS JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM MARINA GRANDE CONDOMINIUMS ON THE HALIFAX RIVERSIDE DRIVE IN DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA,(HOLLY HILL) HAVE LONG HELD THE REPUTATION OF BEING AN ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE!
HOLLY HILL HAS ALMOST NO STANDARDS IN COMPARISON WITH IT’S NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO PARK POLICY. COMPARE FOR YOURSELF ON THIS MUNICIPAL CODE WEBSITE. http://www.municode.com
THE LACK OF STANDARD GUIDELINES IN HOLLY HILL FLORIDA PARKS HAVE EARNED OUR PARKS THE REPUTATION OF BEING CHAOTIC, ANYTHING GOES, LAWLESS PARKS!
DAYTONA, ORMOND, VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES HAVE LONG AGO UPDATED THEIR PARK POLICIES! PEOPLE WHO WANT TO USE A PARK FOR INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES ARE WELL AWARE OF HOLLY HILL’S POLICY OF” NO POLICY.” THEY COME TO HOLLY HILL, KNOWING THEY CAN DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS IN HOLLY HILL THAT THEY WOULD NOT GET AWAY WITH IN NEIGHBORING PARKS!
PLEASE, IF YOU CARE ABOUT OUR PARKS AND WANT TO SEE THEM FINALLY TURN THE CORNER TO BECOME CHILD SAFE, FAMILY FRIENDLY PARKS LIKE OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS ENJOY, SEND AN E-Mail TO OUR MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND CITY MANAGER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT’S HIGH TIME WE UPDATE HOLLY HILL PARK POLICY!
I am glad so much energy was put into Ross Point, but it is Sunrise Park that has been on a gay cruising website for many, many years. Here is the link http://www.cruisinggays.com/holly-hill/c/areas/ Our parks should not be a meet up place to have sex by gay or straight people. Prostitutes show up there too. Some prostitutes even show up for 12 step meetings because of a drug and alcohol addiction.
Now that Ross Point Park bathrooms are torn down, we now have even more criminal activity, alcohol consumption and perverts at Sunrise Park, including drug deals galore.
Then we continue to have court mandated AA members threatening local citizens. Many AA and NA members have violent histories. Just recently in July, a Volusia County Intergroup AA member was asked to leave Sunrise Park for the day for threatening local citizens. Even though the man yelled and promised police to come back and cause the same threatening behavior the following Sunday, Holly Hill PD did not tresspass him or arrest him! Why does Holly Hill police tresspass a person sleeping in the park, yet a violent criminal that is threatening citizens is just asked to leave for the day? Oh that’s right he was an AA member! Anyone else would of been arrested and/or tresspassed.
Please everyone help up keep a scammer and a thief out of our parks. He is bald headed with a tattoo on the back of his head. He lives on a boat as you leave the boat dock in Sunrise Park. He said his name is Jason. He is gross. He reaks of alcohol and is a mooch always asking the people who are having parties for money and food. And he drinks his beer out of a gatorade bottle. He is a menace to our community and we have reported this to Holly Hill police for Investigation. Lock up your valuables. He is still in the park although the police are right on his heels. Thanks River Lilly Bed and Breakfast.
I wish River Lily Bed and Breakfast would help out Sunrise Park as well. Keeping the bathrooms at Sunrise Park makes sense. We do need the help of the citizens of Holly Hill Fl and business owners like The River Lily Bed and Breakfast and Marina Grande On The Halifax to change the lax policies in our City that allows this all to continue.
There was also a rape at Sunrise Park a couple of months ago.
There is crime at Centennial Park, too. We do know a boy has been raped in those bathrooms, and they are filthy dirty. See story here at http://nadaytona.org/2011/11/20/na-member-sex-offender-rapes-minor/
NA meetings are there Saturday night at 7:30 PM with a large crowd taking over the parking, illegally parking , littering, using foul language etc., and they refuse to pay a dime to the City.
NA meetings meet Sunday morning at 11:00 at HollyLand Park taking over pavillions and they refuse to pay rent as well. They have had violence at this meeting as well- Read story here- http://nadaytona.org/2012/01/07/daytona-beach-narcotics-anonymous-member-swings-baseball-bat-at-fellow-na-member-during-argument/ Many children and families use Hollyland Park and are being put in danger by court mandated felons and sexual predators going to those meetings. These meetings are being advertised in their brochures and online website http://www.daytonana.org Look at the meeting list! Holly Hill Parks have become a setup for drug rehab businesses for AA that collect money and sell books , homeless camps and meet up places for sexual perverts and sex predators.
Here is a story about an incident at Sunrise Park where citizens lives were threatened. The NA member was allowed to stay in the park!
http://nadaytona.org/2012/01/19/daytona-beach-na-member-threatens-the-lives-of-citizens-in-sunrise-park-holly-hill-florida/
James Harris, it sounds like to me that you are just a trouble maker yourself. Do you even know this guy? Have you ever sat down and had a conversation with him? And How did you get so close to him that you were even able to smell acohol on his breath? How did you determine exactly what was in his gatorade bottle at the time you saw him. Wow! Maybe you should put a police uniform on and join the force. I will find out who you are and for your best interest you have better used a ficticous name. You are obviously on my heels, so why don’t you just show your dirty face this afternoon around 3pm at the boat ramp and lets discuss all your facts against me in a civil, gentlemanly way, you malicious, dirty old man. I have never double crossed anyone in that park. And I have certainly never done ANY of the things that you are alledging that I have done. So what if I had a couple of beers after work one day and was in the park going to or from my boat. Thats none of your business. All i want is a nice sit down conversation with you explaining yourself. Have a blessed day Mr. “Harris”!!
Windjammer- FYI- you do not need to be real close to someone to smell alcohol on someones breath, or know what beer looks like with foam in a clear gatorade bottle. It also is not hard to tell when someone appears to be intoxicated. You seem to take people for fools. You indeed may have fooled some, but you are not as smart as you think.
Your comment sounds pretty threatening to me…….
Okay Windjammer, in the 1st half of this comment it’s, “do you even know THIS GUY?” We see multiple 2ND PERSON references like HIM and HIS.
Next your comment turns more angry and threatening and then it happens, * * POOF * *, the real identity comes out…. 1ST PERSON with references of I, I’VE and ME! OOOPS BUSTED !!
There is serious cause for concern as you see the mask come off and witness the wild out of touch personality fluctuations emerge! 1ST PERSON threatening intimidator, pretending to be 2ND PERSON gentlemanly, civil. This goes along with what people have said about acting all nice and friendly to get something but becoming aggressive it doesn’t go his way!
This is more than just someone who is having trouble remembering who they told what lie to. This person seems to be having trouble remembering what lies he’s told himself. It’s like he’s having a major identity meltdown in every sentence! UNSTABLE?
I agree the person writing that statement. This windjammer (snip) IN HIS (snip) MIND, STEALING IS OK AND ONLY WHEN HE GOT CAUGHT AND HIS FRIEND PAID FOR WHAT HE HAD STOLEN THEN HE IS SUCH A SAINT FOR HIS FRIEND PAYING FOR HIS THEFT. (CRAP) YOU NEED HELP MY FRIEND. (snip)
If the truth be known, I’m sure that this james harris guy has done some things in life that he’s not proud of. He just didn’t get caught. I have had boating issues where I couldn’t get my boat onto the trailor due to some strong wind and current. Jason jumped right in helped me and if it hadn’t have been for him I would have spent 30-45 minutes out there trying to load my large pontoon boat. keep your head up Jason and don’t listen to fools like this James Harris. I know who you are and I enjoy conversations with you.
No matter who befriends you in Holly Hill parks like Sunrise Park, be careful! There are many predatory people in the parks looking to take advantage of peoples good nature. Do not bring people to your home that you do not know! Park patrons need to be very cautious, even to super friendly people they do not really know. There are many transients that are desperate.
I agree admin, the people of Holly Hill are well aware of the wide range of long-running problems at city parks. In general our beautiful parks have suffered from an obvious lack of will by city officials to adopt updated Park policies.
Volusia County, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach all have updated Park policies. Good Park policy would provide clear guidelines and standards to simplify this whole situation and eliminate any confusion about what can and can’t be done.
Without standards, the bar is low and the results reflect that. These policies have worked for our neighboring jurisdictions and we need to let our Holly Hill mayor and commissioners know that we DO CARE by sending an e-mail, writing a letter or simply making a call. It’s easy, just a simple line to let them know that we want updated Park standards like our neighbors enjoy!
A public facility that lacks standard guidelines creates problems. It becomes an attractive nuisance! Our parks have long had a reputation for having little regulation which attracts people who know they can take advantage and use our parks for inappropriate activities. Apathy in regard to updating our Park policy allows confusion and chaos to thrive as it has done for years!
PLEASE, LET’S TURN THE TIDE AND FOLLOW THROUGH FOR OUR PARKS AND OUR CHILDREN. LET THE COMMISSION KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT UPDATING PARK POLICY!
I think this is the same guy named Jason that was caught stealing from the Holly Hill River Mart across the street, and the owners called the police on him.
Jason is not allowed at the Holly Hill River Mart since he was caught stealing at the store that was caught on their security video. The police have the video.
I do not understand why Holly Hill continues to allow drinking in Sunrise Park Holly Hill. People just open up cans of beer and walk around the park with no fear. If Holly Hill does have undercover police there, they are missing a lot of crime! Or they are just plain lazy. People should also not be allowed to panhandle, rummage through trash cans and prey on people in Sunrise Park. Daytona and Ormond would not tolerate this behavior,
or allow political groups to set up shop in the park and not even pay for a rental. They just run people off sitting in the pavillion just like AA/NA does, and do campaign work with paid employees. Holly Hill is allowing this to go on everyday as we speak.
You forgot to mentioned that this incident was 7 months ago and he paid that store $50 wich was way more than the amount owed. Get a life, You are the fuckin losers.
So what difference does it make if this was 7 months ago? When someone shoplifts from a store, the owner has no idea how much has been stolen over the course of time. The money that was paid to the Holly Hill River Mart was not even paid by the shoplifter, but a friend offered some money to offset what had been stolen, and to prevent arrest.
Well Gregg, “it was 7 months ago” so it’s no big deal, doesn’t sit well with me. Maybe it makes sense to people who steal a lot, I guess. Holly Hill River Mart is a mom-and-pop shop run by exceptionally nice, tolerant, trusting folk’s! There are not many places like this still out there. I’m sure they have to feel much differently now about trusting friendly people. What a real shame!
Somebody shows up out of nowhere, acts like their new best friend, and practically camps out in front of their store. Giving this person the benefit of the doubt, these good-natured storeowners found that someone who they trusted, was robbing them blind while there back was turned.
It is people like this that make it hard to trust someone.
Here is the article where they did a sex sting operation at Ross Point Riverside Park Holly Hill Florida.
This has a link to Sunrise being a cruising place for gays. The gay cruising site has over 1500 reviews for Sunrise Park! Even though businesses and citizens complained to Mark Barker and Steven Aldridge, no visible extra patrolling was done. They like to sit under the shade trees in Holly Land and chitty chat with each other, instead of parking and maybe even getting out of their police cars at Sunrise Park. Oh no. Police in uniform walking? Instead they drive on the lawn at times because they are too damn lazy to get out of their vehicle.
They might do some undercover work there. But that is not much of a deterrent to criminals when they can’t actually actually see police cars in the parking lot or walking a beat. We begged them for help, and they blew us all off.
http://nadaytona.org/2011/11/26/retired-catholic-priest-charged-in-holly-hill-sex-sting-at-ross-point-park/
Article that appeared in the Daytona News Journal about a petition that was signed by local citizens about the AA and NA meetings in Sunrise Park, as well as other groups. Liz Towsley Patton who has stated her daughter is an NA member, refuses to take the safety concerns of the people she is to serve. To this day the city commissioners can vote raises for themselves, the police department and the City Manager, but crime is going through the roof in Holly Hill Florida. AA and NA meetings have now spread to other Holly Hill Parks now because of a lack of leadership and competence in the Holly Hill City government.
http://nadaytona.org/2011/09/22/emotions-run-high-at-holly-hill-fl-meeting-discussing-naaa-park-meetings/
Here is the article of death treats and harassments made by AA/NA members in Sunrise Park.
http://nadaytona.org/2012/01/19/daytona-beach-na-member-threatens-the-lives-of-citizens-in-sunrise-park-holly-hill-florida/
Here is a story about violence between NA members in Hollyland Park last year involving a baseball bat! They did not get a special permit for that major baseball game event either, even though they had way over 100 people from different counties attending. Police would have been there had they got a special permit, and this incident where the NA member nearly got killed by his fellow NA member would not have happened!
http://nadaytona.org/2012/01/07/daytona-beach-narcotics-anonymous-member-swings-baseball-bat-at-fellow-na-member-during-argument/
Daytona News Journal May 14th 2012
Holly Hill Demolishing Ross Point Park Restrooms
Holly Hill, FL- Crews were out Monday afternoon, taking heavy equipment to the bathrooms at Holly Hill’s Ross Point Park. Back in November, six men were arrested as part of a sex sting revolving around those bathrooms.
Holly Hill Police Chief Mark Barker said after the sting that he planned on asking the city to change the washroom to a ‘single-use facility’ to limit sexual activity there. Calls to the City Manager’s office requesting comment were not immediately returned.