To the editor:

The recent event of the woman falling from the roof of a house at 1145 Tenn. should not surprise anyone given that the Oread neighborhood has had out-of-hand parties on a weekly basis for over three years — from Mississippi to Kentucky streets, north of the stadium to Ninth Street and from Ninth to 14th streets east of the campus.

Parties in this area resulted in a stabbing at 12th and Ohio streets and many reported rapes. A party house (1200 block of Ohio) that I personally addressed the City Commission about — Jim Henry was a member at the time — eventually burned to the ground. Had the commission addressed the problem house, maybe the tenants would not have had to jump from windows of the burning building. These parties create ongoing neighborhood trash, not to mention the constant nuisance of noise and turning yards into living rooms with sofas, chairs and tables — and illegal underage drinking.

When a person calls to make a complaint and police come to the area, tickets should be written. There’s no reason to question and ID the caller, dispatch already has that information.

Chancellor Hemenway should become personally involved in ensuring the neighborhood is safe for students, staff and visitors. If the City Commission is not willing to direct the city manager to take action, then it is time to change the commission and hire responsible department heads and a new city manager to enforce ordinances.

Who is running this soon-to-be second-rate city?

David Holroyd,

Lawrence