The fight to get Polson Park back is on.
A new group of concerned Vernon citizens has been formed with the aim to clean up the once tranquil park which is now overrun with needles.
Kai Eli has spearheaded the group – called the Polson Avengers. He has been at the park almost every day since forming the group four days ago, armed with a sharps container and laser point eyes on the hunt for anything harmful.
“They’re right near where kids are playing,” said Eli, 25, a construction worker and avid boxer at Iron Heart Gym.
“I don’t know if this is the same people but this is nonsense, it’s really irritating.”
He remembers coming to the park as a kid and hanging out on the grass near the skateboard park. That’s also where he found a crack pipe and one of the all-too-common orange-tipped needles Monday evening.
“I don’t blame kids for not wanting to walk around,” said Eli.
The idea of a group of Polson Avengers was sparked by a Letter to the Editor in The Morning Star written by an 11-year-old kid fearful of returning to Polson Park.
See related: Park unsafe for youth
“If I could talk to the people, maybe they won’t,” said Eli, who was planning to return to the park Monday later in the evening to try and find some of the offenders. “I want to catch the people doing this, I want to give them a good talking to, see how they feel about kids getting poked by one of their disgusting needles.”
Just a quick 25-minute walk around the park Monday afternoon, where he said there was just young kids in the park and some homeless people, and he collected three needles.
“I’ll personally try my best to be here every day, I’ve got the time,” he said, encouraging anyone who wants to join the efforts to follow the Polson Avengers on Facebook.
“You guys find time. One day out of the week is good. One day out of your life means a lot to me.”
He also plans to contact the City of Vernon about the idea of installing sharps boxes in the park near garbage cans.
