This month, they were thrust into the spotlight by residents who want them gone. The city and MainStrasse Neighborhood Association sponsored a fix-up day to trim bushes and paint the park's shelter. If the undergrowth is cut back, homeless men will be driven out and families can return. Some parents are uncomfortable taking small children to the park because they perceive homeless people as a threat, said Rachel DeLugish of the Covington Community Center. She helps coordinate the MainStrasse Neighborhood Association.
Tourists occasionally are approached by panhandlers, officials say.
Other complaints involve people getting drunk or having sex in nearby bushes. These last two activities are illegal in public, and police should take appropriate action. And like it or not, nonaggressive panhandling is a form of free speech. MainStrasse is hardly the first tourist destination to come with a few beggars. Furthermore, many of Covington's homeless are against panhandling.