Penwell swimming area closed

I Just drove down Penwell Road and noticed that the swimming/fishing area is now blocked off and there are no parking and do not enter signs all over the place. Does anyone know what happened or have any information?

Used 2 cast
Jul '15

I seriously hope that the property owners got tired of the messes people leave there and took away the privilege of using it as a swimming area. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that pigs were swimming instead of people.

Some Guy (Art) Some Guy (Art)
Jul '15

Unfortunately they moved to the bottom on Point Mtn. Now Lebanon township, Mansfield township, Fish and Game and the Ranger are involved with this mess... Diapers and garbage are just dropped anywhere they like... It's disgusting.

Chubby Chubby
Jul '15

There needs to be an officer there issuing litter citations like candy. That'll either clean 'em up or run 'em off. I have no sympathy for them.

Some Guy (Art) Some Guy (Art)
Jul '15

Ugh....I hope they don't start going to the Pt. Mountain location.

Nosila Nosila
Jul '15

You can still fish there

Booster90 Booster90
Jul '15

If you had seen it last weekend, you'd know, it looked like a third world country..

HHS75
Jul '15

Yup, people pretty much ruin everything. Same thing happened to my favorite spot out on Old Mine road near Millbrook. Tons of people leaving garbage and dirty diapers all over the place even though there are garbage cans readily available. Pigs. I was a boy scout and brought up to leave every place you go cleaner than when you found it.

eperot eperot
Jul '15

I went by on a hot sunday to see over 100 hispanics cooking partying and sitting in chairs in the river! Look more like Tjguana than Warren co! This closing has Its been comming for yrs.

kevmo kevmo
Jul '15

the Hispanics are ruining yet another recreational area?? It must be a coincidence.

Philliesman Philliesman
Jul '15

Oh good Another thread to bash Hiapanics. Let's see how many posts you guys can get to before this thread gets shut down.

Darwin Darwin
Jul '15

Please do not turn this into a racial issue. That will only help the litter bugs gain support for themselves. They are careless and terrible people of any color/religion/national origin and need to clean up their act or suffer consequences for their careless disregard for others and the local environment.

The only good thing that has happened so far is that they are now downstream from the TCA, so their litter will not wash into it. There still needs to be a law enforcement presence issuing tickets, and if anyone want to post photos (which are legal since it's a public area) There can be a good public shaming of these people as well.

Some Guy (Art) Some Guy (Art)
Jul '15

Sounds like a public safety issue. Nothing to do with race.

pampurr pampurr
Jul '15

from 2014
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2014/07/trash_alcohol_use_lingering_pr.html

from 2011
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2011/08/trash_becoming_a_mounting_prob.html

I actually didn't know this was a swimming spot.

BrownEyesGuy BrownEyesGuy
Jul '15

This is sad- I hope the Pt. Mountain Location isn't bad during the week. We really enjoy going there and walking each night with the pups.

I did notice last week on the shore line there was a lot more cig butts and a bottle or two of beer.

Authorities need to sit there in plain clothes and give a ticker for littering for each cig thrown and bottle left.

Nosila Nosila
Jul '15

from the Mansfield police department, this is just the facts,

On July 21, 2015 at 2:25 pm officers were patrolling the Penwell area and observed a large group of individuals along the river. Two large bottles of whiskey were observed and summonses for open containers were issued to Jose Javier Ortiz-Nazario (40) of Easton, PA and Jose H. Ferreria (38) of Bronx, NY. Prior to leaving they were warned to take out all garbage brought in. The area was checked after they left and a large amount of garbage had been left behind. Additional summonses for littering were issued and mailed to each of them.

JD4020 JD4020
Jul '15

I think it's more that people who live in urban areas are slobs, not that they are Hispanic. Just take a drive through Jersey City and look at the filth. People who live in nicer areas are taught to appreciate the land. At least that is how I was taught. But then you can go to cities like Austin, Texas and you won't find once piece of garbage lying anywhere. Definitely has something to do with the social classes living in these areas. Then they venture out to nice areas and throw their trash out the windows and destroy nice recreational areas because they live in filth themselves.

Metsman Metsman
Jul '15

I don't think where someone lives means they are slobs or not. I grew up in a blue collar neighborhood In Brooklyn. My parents wouldn't tolerate any one of their six kids littering, damaging or leaving a mess behind. My Mom caught my brothers in a watermellon seed- spitting contest and made them and their friends clean up the street. Today, many don't care about anything, no pride in where they live or to respect anyones property. If children aren't taught from when they are small, they grow up to be slobs not caring about anyone or anything except themselves.

justwondering justwondering
Jul '15

You answered it for yourself. Blue collar neighborhood. That means people in that neighborhood gave a damn.

Metsman Metsman
Jul '15

Same across the river but more police patrolling: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2015/07/bethlehem_increases_police_ban.html#incart_river_mobileshort

OnTheEdge OnTheEdge
Jul '15

It has already turned into racial issue with the comment from Kevmo 1 day ago.
Why is it so important to announce the ethnic make-up of the people leaving a mess??
Can't you just say "people sitting in the river", etc......

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Jul '15

I can't see what the problem is in PA. All of the newspaper photos show a park that is perfectly clean and absolutely empty.


The bottom line is its disgusting and is getting shut down. It's a sham for the people who respect the area. That area is not a public park it's a privately owned piece of property that the owner has every right to close.

Tom S
Jul '15

I didn't know anything about this Penwell recreation area until yesterday while reading the Mansfield police blotter and saw multiple incidents from that area. Sounds like it's been an ongoing problem and an unfortunate drain of police resources. It's a shame some people have no respect for their surroundings.


Use to take the kids there swimming when they were little. Had a lot of fun. Fished there too. Such a shame.

maja - PA??

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Jul '15

This is not a racial issue Brother but is a cultural one. I mearly reported what i saw, the crowd was hispanic not white. They gather and socialize very differently. Sorry to all those guilt riden PC apologists!

kevmo kevmo
Jul '15

kevmo is right, it is a cultural issue. Very few countries have that "pickup after yourself" attitude drilled into them. You'll notice traveling outside the US that very few people will hang on to a wrapper till the corner trash can, if there is one. Once it's empty it just falls out of their hand.Forty years ago we would have big parties at the Diamond Hill Quarry, the Gravel Pit, Penwell, and we knew if we trashed it the whole freedom thing would be over. The other day at McDonald's drive-thru, 4 culturally different people pulled out on Mt Ave, and all the way to Home Depot trash was flying out the window. I don't really care cause I'm not dragging cases of beer up and empties down, to Hawk's Point, the Glen or the Cataract. Who am I to complain, the PC group has made certain it's not my country anymore. Let'em trash it up, they'll find new places, maybe Canada.

One-Eyed Poacher One-Eyed Poacher
Jul '15

Botherd, OntheEdge posted a link. It was a pennsylvania park that was having an issue similar to Penwell.


One-Eyed:

And I was just behind a couple of good-ol'-white-boys in a beat-to-crap pickup truck on Rockport Road dodging the cans and wrappers they were throwing out as they drove along.

There are plenty of white american slobs, too.

JerryG JerryG
Jul '15

I believe you are right it is cultural. Take a trip to Japan. Cleanest country I have ever visited. Even the cabs are spotless. The drivers wear white gloves, and the cabs have clean white doilies on the back of the seats "in a cab". No dented cabs and all of them were clean as a whistle. The stores are immaculate and the shopkeepers constantly clean them. No cigarette buts on the sidewalks. The folks are very kind as well. We went to the train station, and held out our money and told the other commuters where we wanted to go and they would purchase our ticket and take us to the correct train. (and these folks were on their way to work)

Ms Fishy Ms Fishy
Jul '15

Thanks maja. Didn't see the post.

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Jul '15

Drove by there yesterday morning. Mansfield Twsp was there cleaning up. In the afternoon when I came back through, there were cans, bottles and other trash on and in front of the barriers. A real nice way to act.
I know of another spot off River road along the Delaware River in Pohatcong Twsp. The people trash the area all the time. The Town put up signs "no Littering" and the people just dump there. All kinds of people use this area. This past weekend it was loaded with Spanish speaking people. My friend was trying to get them to move their stuff off the Rail Road tracks so the train could get through. They bring in all kinds of stuff then just leave it there. What happens is it ruins it for those who care.

Mr 4paws

4paws 4paws
Jul '15

People are just disgusting.

Metsman Metsman
Jul '15

Police should go there , observe , and arrest those who drink alcohol there as well as the litterers. Do it over and over. Make them realize they are not welcome.

A good day
Jul '15

I was just riding through there on my Harley when a Mansfield officer came up behind me and hit the lights just as I approached the "parking" area. I thought we were going to chat about me just making it through the light back on 57 and Port Murray Road where I just passed him. In fact he was there to make contact with the people getting out of four different cars all with NY plates. It appears that no trespassing means no trespassing and it will be enforced.

I have never been back to the river in that area- it sure looks like a very nice spot.


Seems a similar situation is happening in Palmer Township, PA.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2015/08/pump_pump_park_crowds_return_a.html

The park is now closed on weekends because it's being visited by carloads and busloads of people from out-of-state. The article suggests this is more of a crowding issue, with more than 500 people there last Sunday, than one of a garbage-being-left-behind issue, although there has been quite a bit of it left there.

3wbdwnj 3wbdwnj
Aug '15

Beautiful park in PA. I can see why people travel to it. But grilling and swimming seem like State park activities to me.


I just drove by penwell and there was like 10 cars all New York plates parked on 57.... Guess they didn't get the memo

Booster90 Booster90
Aug '15

I guess they figured they can't park in the regular area off Penwell Rd, so they went in off of RT 57. Isn't parking on Rt 57 against the law? Where are the cops?

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Aug '15

Penwell became a problem when it listed as a "New Jersey watering hole" on the internet!

Donna hughes Donna hughes
Aug '15

Unfortunately, in today's PC environment no one can make a statement of fact without being identified as someone against one particular group, in this case Hispanic's. However, it is indisputable that anyone who has been over two Penwell in the last two years have seen hordes of people, primarily Hispanic, who literally arrive in mass with grills, tables, chairs and tables .

Everyone has a entitlement to enjoy themselves but not to the determinant of other people wishing to enjoy the same thing. I really believe if some form of policing had occurred earlier the problem never would have occurred, however, not the end result is good for no one and the offenders just move onto the next site.

towniejim towniejim
Aug '15

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