Parties Get Chunky, Sundays in North Greenwood

Women jump out of a party bus in ripped, black spandex.

They do splits and other dance maneuvers as a camera pans around showing big rims and cars with shiny, bowling ball paint as part of the seven-minute “Chunky Sunday 2013 - Clearwater, FL Wick City” YouTube video posted April 16.

The community parties, which swelled to some 6,000 people at their height in 1998 in Bartlett and Campbell parks in St. Petersburg, according to a May 10, 2000 St. Petersburg Times article, are back.

This time they have become a tradition in Clearwater’s gritty North Greenwood community, with hundreds of attendees coming to Cherry Harris Park Sunday evenings before lining Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue until 10 p.m. or later.

Chunky Issues

Resident and neighborhood leaders had some concerns about the parties when they started in April.

The gatherings attract a large crowd of people from the Tampa Bay area. However, aside from writing parking tickets, unless other crimes are witnessed, there is little Clearwater Police can do.

The gatherings typically start at Cherry Harris Park, a sliver of a city park, that has limited parking. As the evening wears on, the park closes and the party moves to parking lot areas near Engman Street along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. 

There have been some arrests because of the Chunky Sunday parties.

After hearing shots in the area, an officer saw William Anthony Melvin, 23, in a parking lot holding a small-semi automatic handgun in the air 9:13 p.m. April 28, according to Clearwater Police.

Police were in the area, near Engman Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue as part of a directed patrol because of the large crowds that gather there, according to arrest records.

Melvin, of Tampa, held his hand in the air and fired several more shots before going into an orange Dodge Charger, according to police records.

Two semi-automatic handguns were discovered in the Charger and several shell casings were found in the parking lot, according to investigators.

Melvin was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm in public, possession of marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted of car jacking and possession of cocaine Feb. 28, according to arrest records. He was released on $20,500 bond.

As part of the investigation, Monor Mortume, 22, of Tampa, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. He was released on his own recognizance.

The next week, Dreon J. Baker, 20, of Clearwater, was seen trying to fight someone near Engman Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue around 10:30 p.m. March 5.

The guy knocked a drink out of Baker’s hand and the fight started, Baker told police. His breath smelled of alcohol and he refused to calm down, according to investigators.

Baker was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication in a public place. He was released on $100 bond.

Chunky Satisfaction

Police Chief Anthony Holloway, who has witnessed the parties, addressed resident concerns in an email April 26:

“The Police and Parks & Recreation Departments became aware of “Chunky Sunday” almost three weeks ago. “ChunkySunday” is not a special event. It falls under the classification of “Unofficial Community Gathering” because there is no specific sponsor for the group. The Police Department attempts to regulate the gathering with police presence. We also contacted Traffic Engineering to post “No Parking” signs on the grass in the area and we contacted the surrounding businesses to sign affidavits, which allow the Police Department to remove vehicles from their property when they are closed.  So, as you can see, we have taken several steps to mitigate the issues around the public gathering to address the community concerns.  Lieutenant Kleinsorge and I have personally met with several of the community leaders in North Greenwood and the residents surrounding the area. I have received multiple compliments for the way Lt. Kleinsorge and his officers are handling the issues with the crowd and noise. There has not been any disorderly conduct issues associated with the large crowds.

As to the video that is on YouTube, that video was shot prior to the police presence in the park.  Since we have been patrolling the park, there has been no activity as shown on the video when the officers are present.

As for your concerns or implication that the North Greenwood community has a different set of rules than the rest of the city, the answer is no. My police management staff has been empowered to flex the officers’ hours to address any criminal or quality of life issues throughout the city. Listed below are just a few examples:

• Spring Break - Clearwater Beach

These are just a few things. You can see every community in the city benefits from the officers flexing their hours to address issues throughout the city. I know that tax payers would be very pleased to know that my management staff and I are addressing their concerns and issues with little to no overtime cost to its citizens.”

After reading the email and meeting with Holloway, neighborhood leaders questions were answered.

“We are aware that this is going on and it is being handled by the community, neighborhood leaders and the Clearwater Police Department,” Carl Schrader, president of the Clearwater Neighborhood’s Coalition, said in an email. “This is just another instance of people enjoying the ambiance and good things that the City of Clearwater has to offer."

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