Destruction of bush in Seven Hills Park

[Christopher Beland]

If anyone's wondering why one of the bushes in Seven Hills Park has been chopped back so that it has hardly any leaves, I just wanted to let you know it wasn't a city decision, nor was it destroyed by anyone in the rough crowd living or doing drugs in the square. It was destroyed by one of our neighbors, Joyce, who lives on Kingston Street. She was concerned about people loitering on the bench behind the bush and doing drugs, and so angry about the problem remaining unsolved for so long that she decided to take matters literally into her own hands. I came across this scene (photo attached) this evening after the damage had been done, notified the city, and weirdly saw her dump a bag of branches and leaves in a yard waste bin at 38 Thorndike, where she does not live. (I'm not sure if they have an arrangement, or if this was just trespassing and dumping.) The police eventually came, and they had a long talk with Joyce. The officer I spoke to said she agreed not to do any more damage to the bushes, and clean up the remaining debris. The police said they wouldn't press charges, but if she came back and did more damage it could be a different story.

I've heard Joyce demand that the bushes be cut back in public meetings many months ago, so the bench can be clearly seen from the walkway. This destruction isn't going to stop anyone from using drugs, and I expect we're going to have the same frequent camping and drug use in this area plus a 24/7 view of a very sad bush.

Joyce's theory behind destroying the bush is that people go there so that people can't see they're shooting up. Even with the full shrubbery that used to be there, it was pretty obvious to me when I walked by what was happening on and near the bench. I've also encountered several people shooting up in plain view on or near the main pathway, scowling at passers-by who look at them. I know Joyce is concerned with the welfare of the people doing drugs, as she has tragically lost a son to addiction, but I don't see how shooing them out of Seven Hills Park is going to help them. At least if someone has passed out on that bench or on the ground, even before the trim they'd be seen by lots of passers-by. (I've also encountered several people passed out in plain view in need of medical assistance.) If people do feel like they can't shoot up in Seven Hills Park anymore because we turn it into a panopticon hellscape, that just means they'll find someplace else to do it, where they might have less of a chance of surviving an overdose, or cause more problems for neighbors if they flee into residential neighborhoods or end up in someone's yard. (My Howard Street neighbors were already complaining about finding people shooting up on their doorstep.)

I'm very unhappy the community did not get to decide whether to take this action, and also very unhappy and concerned that the underlying problems of homelessness and drug use that motivated this vandalism have not been resolved. I'm already stressed about the humanitarian crisis in our parks and the disruption and risks imposed on our community. What I really don't need is to also have to worry about vigilantes destroying property or harming people to try to make these problems go away.

-B.

[Joyce McCann]

Get a life.  That Thorndike  st house is a friend and neighbor who has been helping me clean the trail for 25 years.  So mind your fn business twerp.

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[Joyce McCann]

And get your facts straight. I was told to leave everything.  So now there are piles of 1000 cigarette butts and plastic caps and trash still there.  Tell the whole story.  I raked and cleaned all the trash, needles and underwear out from those bushes and all to comment were positive except for hurt feelings twerp.  The bush will grow back if the T does not get rid of them all first, it's  a plant. Changes are coming and I am not talking about city hall.  So hold on! Sounds like you might not like what's  coming.  

[Luke Nicholson]

I understand the anger over the bush, Christopher. Joyce's methods were absolutely wrong, and she shouldn't have done it.

But I also think just condemning her as a "vigilante" misplaces all our frustration. The desperation she was (wrongly) acting on isn't unfounded. Her "theory" about the bush worsening the state of the park is real. It's called CPTED, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. You're not supposed to have hidden spots like that. It just enables the exact behavior we're seeing.

That said, I think your statement that "at least they can be seen if they overdose" is just... a real misunderstanding. A park bench is not a harm reduction site. Real harm reduction is supervised with sterile supplies and treatment access. This is just letting our park get sacrificed for a policy failure. And it's not a neutral act. Your email even says they scowl at people. The park stops being public and becomes claimed.

The "sad bush" isn't the only tragedy here. The bigger tragedy is our parks are unsupervised, unmanaged messes, and that the city's inaction has led to a situation where a resident (wrongfully) felt she had no other choice.

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[Colin McMillen]

I'm highly skeptical of the claim that "the bush will grow back". Looks like it's been stripped down to its roots, right before winter frost & freezing weather hits. Most likely, you've killed that bush.

I don't know what the right solution is to the Seven Hills Park situation, but it's definitely not "letting random unauthorized people cut down public infrastructure".

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[Joyce McCann]

Thursday evening when I got off the train like I always do I check in with the Daycare security guard.  There was a group gathered on the bench in tight.  I went and joined them and talked a little bit about doing drugs outside of a Daycare. They were distributing the drugs in front of me and they did not care that I was there.  I called the police 1212 line and told them that there was a group dealing off that bench in plain sight.  I watched from Meacham Rd as people kept coming and going.  The police did not come after 10 15 minutes of this.  So I called 311 to ask if anyone cares and if anyone is coming and I would like to file a complaint.  She got the police on the line and they were coming as soon as possible.  No one came as I watched people coming and going.  The  police did come eventually, not sure of the outcome.  

Friday I get off the train early afternoon and speak to the security guard.  He shows me a pile of needles he collected that morning at 9 AM. 7 needles.  I was right.  They had a party Thursday night after the deals all went down.  And the they can't  even walk to the needle box.  They don't care so my compassion is waning.  Those needles never got cleaned up all day long until Officer Mark got some gloves and put them in the box after I flagged him down.  Outside of a daycare.  And you are worried they will have  no place to shoot up if they are pushed out of that space???   When I spoke to them they said those babies in that day care should learn about the drugs.  He said "we can teach them all about it".They only care about the next high and how they are going to get it.  We are a blur on the side of the road to them.

Those rotten disgusting benches send a clear message to these peope that we don't care about that space so go ahead and wreck it some more and that's okay?  Same with the square. 

None of you know me, only from the meetings about this issue.  I have been cleaning this end of our trail for close to 30 years.  I built a garden at the Thorndike  st entrance on the Kingston side.  EDIE built the garden that is  behind  the benches on the path at Thorndike.  I used all the 100 year old bricks from Campbell Park when they re bricked it and built the edging.  Also around both oak trees.  All of it sits in dust and sand now from neglect.  I ripped it a out because I had to carry water from my house.  Ask any of my neighbors about how much time and effort I give to cleaning up this once nice neighborhood, they will all let you know I am sure.  And when we get a new raised crosswalk at Buena Vista and Meacham Rd you can thank me for that!!!

I am old but I am a Somerville kid through and through so think twice before you come for me.  I don't like it.

[Frank Mals]

Calling bushes "infrastructure" is a stretch.  The root cause of this situation is letting random individuals destroy actual infrastructure, actual business, and actual reputation and actual peace of mind. 

Joyce, I don't know you, but I know people who do.  You are right to point out the hard work you've done for years to beautfiy Davis Square. It was unfair to name you in this forum without that context or the information about your experience over the last few days.  I don't think you should've been named at all.  

[Elizabeth Merrick]

All I know is the situation in Davis Square has deteriorated so much, it is completely unacceptable that public safety and public health, not to mention quality of life, for the broader community have been totally ignored. A relatively small number of people with very severe problems have been permitted to impact everyone beyond what is reasonable.

 I have a lot of compassion for people with serious troubles including addiction, and believe strongly they should be offered help and support. But there's also such a thing as enforcing the law, and maintaining safe and clean public spaces for everyone. I don't understand how or when perspectives shifted so much that all other community members with obviously valid concerns have been sidelined for years now.

Elizabeth Merrick 

Get Outlook for Android

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From: daviss...@googlegroups.com <daviss...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Frank Mals <malsb...@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2025 1:06:06 PM
To: Davis Square Neighborhood Council <daviss...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [DSNC] Destruction of bush in Seven Hills Park

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/412fa6b1-5f8d-42d0-834b-57d0c8d32a56n%40googlegroups.com.

[Colin McMillen]

I agree that calling out people by name and address, and posting details of their personal lives (even if these details were technically publicly disclosed from a public meeting) is really bad form. I'm not sure if this list has a code of conduct, but it probably should, and that sort of thing should probably be off-limits. (So should be telling someone to "mind your fucking business, twerp".)

Whether bushes are "infrastructure" or not, they're definitely public *property*. It belongs to all of us, and nobody has the right to unilaterally destroy it because they believe it'll solve a problem.

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[Elaine Almquist]

To everyone,

I'm in full agreement. The tone and purpose of this exchange at this point is un-neighborly. 

Let's take up a code of conduct, and a more civil conversation on this topic at our November meeting. For now, I'm asking that you all end replies to this thread.

Best,

Elaine

Elaine F. Almquist

(she/her/hers)

BlueSky @EAlmquist  Instagram: @EFAlmquist
Phone: 978.375.2448

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/5659c928-130f-4358-b763-95a9d89fdf33%40app.fastmail.com.

[David Booth]

Does the DSNC already have one? If so, I was unable to find it. If
not, it seems that we need one. Here is one of many examples:
https://opensource.org/codeofconduct

Thanks,
David Booth

[Michael Chiu]

Chris,

I think it is fair to express your concern about the bush and vigilante arborism.   However, I don't think it is at all appropriate to accuse neighbors and air their personal/family history on this public forum.  I don't know Joyce, nor am I the moderator (I don't think there is one), but if this level of discourse acceptable for the DSNC, I think it won't last very long, nor will it be successful in its mission.

Not expressing any position on the bush, the general situation in Davis or anything else. Just saying that we should at least be civil to ALL our neighbors.

Online discussion generally sucks, we all say stupid things from time to time.  I suggest you acknowledge your error, apologize and move on.

Michael

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[Anand Patil]

Hi all,

Hope we are all having a good Saturday.

Joyce, first of all thank you for your years of dedication to maintaining the park; it does not go unnoticed. The solutions to homelessness and substance use are complicated. We need to work with regional partners over the next few years on evidence-based solutions to reopen homeless shelters (including the Church's) and addiction facilities, reopen the Long Island Bridge, work on a regional solution to connect people to housing and substance use support, work to open a supervised consumption site, and more.

I acknowledge that you felt motivated to do this due to inaction from the city and MBTA, and I think we can all agree that we need more action and engagement from our government on this issue. We have new leadership coming soon, and I have confidence that we will make substantive progress towards these issues over the next few years. However, unilaterally taking things into your own hands and destroying public property without approval is certainly not the solution we need. Two wrongs do not make a right. Substance use has been happening in the open, and a small bush that is semi-impeding the view from the public is not significantly enabling people to engage in illegal behaviors.

This discussion, especially calling out community members by name, simply isn't productive. Nothing good can come from arguing if we are allowed to destroy city/MBTA property without approval.

I think it would be best to end this conversation for now and discuss in private if we wish to continue this conversation. Let's all recommit to discussing the complex issues impacting the Square and our community constructively and with civility. We all want what is best for our community, even if we disagree at times on how or what those things may be.

Thanks,

Anand

[Michael Chiu]

I sent the message below at 9:30am, for some reason it hasn't been posted so I'm trying to re-send to add my voice to this thread.

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Chris,

I think it is fair to express your concern about the bush and vigilante arborism.   However, I don't think it is at all appropriate to accuse neighbors and air their personal/family history on this public forum.  I don't know Joyce, nor am I the moderator (I don't think there is one), but if this level of discourse is acceptable for the DSNC, I think it won't last very long, nor will it be successful in its mission.

Not expressing any position on the bush, the general situation in Davis or anything else. Just saying that we should at least be civil to ALL our neighbors.

Online discussion generally sucks, we all say stupid things from time to time.  I suggest you acknowledge your error, apologize and move on.

Michael

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAEK62JfaAxyJorgxfTZ9DpxiBK%3D%3DaVxg41BipFC5Rmj2vgDc9g%40mail.gmail.com.

[Elaine Almquist]

The last three messages after mine were in our moderation folder. They were sent before mine, and I just released them. There was also one vent cleaning message that I rejected.

Best,

Elaine

Elaine F. Almquist

(she/her/hers)

BlueSky @EAlmquist  Instagram: @EFAlmquist
Phone: 978.375.2448

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/683de804-d85d-4cb7-b751-dcda08d1c882n%40googlegroups.com.