Fantastic job at Carpenter and Gray's Ferry- wow!
We filled at least half a city dump truck and they had to come back again after that to pick up the rest of it.
We had chain saws, rakes, shovels, and good ole hand work.
We even had help from a family who came in from the burbs just looking for a place to lend a hand- and who spent hours working HARD! Thanks to everyone...

6 people cleaned the 1900 Block of Christian. People were out on the 1700 & 1800 blocks as well. Some dedicated folks worked their way south on 19th St between Christian and Montrose cleaning the toxic dump there.

Okay - this was an all around awesome day, and one that I wish was repeated more than twice a year!

Brian and I were the only ones out on 22nd from Washington to Kimball (it's our usually cleaning grounds) and then did 23rd Street from Washington to Kimball (along the chocolate factory). We were feeling a little depressed at this point becuase we were the only ones from our block....so....we went back over to 22nd Street, armed with bags, and started to work our way down.

At 22nd and Carpenter, there is a lot behind the little grocery diagonal from Sidecar. There was a man in the lot trying to hack at the weeds and trash on his own, so we went in and just started picking up stuff, Willie lives at 22nd and Bainbridge but thought we could use some help further down. Then the store owner joined us, and then more folks showed up...AWESOME! We got the lot cleaned, and then kept walking down 22nd, just picking up trash as we went. We came across a huge group of folks cleaning up outside of the Lucky Day area and joined in, we helped as much as we could (they had already done a lot) and then just kept going. We circled back on the opposite side of the streeet and ended at home.

THEN -- we got to go over and help some friends move into the neighborhood! We tried to end the day at Sidecar but it was beyond jamm packed, so we gave up after an hour and headed to Divan to continue the neighborhood luvin'.

Good times!
Jenn

Great job everyone on all the efforts yesterday.

I can say from experience that if you pick up litter on your block whenever you see it, and spend 15 minutes every Saturday morning, even in the winter, picking up garbage on both sides of your block, you'll maintain a cleaner existence.

Anyway.

There's a vacant lot on 20th and almost Christian street, directly across from the big church. That lot has a sign that says 'Maintained by SOSNA' or some such nonsense. SOSNA is a block away (didn't see anyone from SOSNA picking up trash yesterday, or for that matter I've never seen SOSNA doing much cleaning around their building ever, but that's another thread / story), and that lot is FILLED with garbage, but it's padlocked and we can't get in...

I'm sure there's other lots like this 'maintained' by the fab SOSNA group... how can we get SOSNA to clean and look after these lots?

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We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. ~Anais Nin

Don't like SOSNA much, do we?

The lot across from St. Charles Borromeo is also next door to the Courts of Calanthe, an old-time society/social club. The sign says "fencing provided by SOSNA" -- not "lot maintained by SOSNA." Back in the day (late 80s/early 90s) that vacant lot was a thoroughfare for thugs. SOSNA had gotten some funding from I-forget-whom to put up some fencing in the neighborhood where the thug traffic was worst. Back in the day, former committeeperson, former SOSNA board member, and former block captain Marion Jones cleaned not only her own block of 1900 Montrose but also that part of 20th Street. She passed a couple of years ago and now it's time for other volunteers to take up the broom. I believe that our own Lolly is now working on cleaning up that block.

SOSNA staff was at the office to distribute bags for other volunteers this morning and I understand that the staff was working at the Marian Anderson Rec Center cleanup while various board members were working on their own blocks. I know that the board member who lives on my block was shoveling curb litter.

EDIT: Pinging Alan Mandel! I suspect that he might know how to get a key to the gate of that lot, as he was also on the SOSNA board when Marion Jones was. I am guessing that the Courts of Calanthe folks have a key, but I wouldn't have a clue how to get hold of them (My contact was always Ms. Jones).

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That lot was a real mess -- we were AWOL but a big THANKS to everyone who made it out to make our neighborhood look better.

A.

So was the board member who lives on my block...

He also worked with a neighbor to remove the bucket that was cemented in the sidewalk of an elderly neighbor and re-pour the cement around the drains. Oh, and he and I spend at least an hour (often many more) a week cleaning up trash and shoveling dirt and leaves out of the curb. I know SOSNA has issues, but accusations that members did not participate yesterday are unfair and inaccurate.

I think it would be great to have a scheduled neighborhood "get out and do something to beautify the neighborhood" day each month. It seems like the only hurdle is arranging for debris pick-up on that day. Besides improving the neighborhood, it's a great way to get to know your neighbors.

P.S. Jakdracula--Have you determined who owns the lot you're talking about?

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Yes, and in fact I can attest that the SOSNA board member who lives on my block was also the one who personally hand-picked all the reachable trash from in front of that very lot yesterday morning (including numerous poopy diapers & other unmentionable loose household trash) & piled it all into the big brown paper trash bags supplied by the City to be taken away on that corner.

She also worked very diligently for hours with her husband & her brother (who was visiting from NYC) to clear the heaps of trash from all the storm drains & gutters on the corner of 20th & Montrose + the yard in front of St. Charles rectory + the empty lot at the corner of 20th & Montrose... etc. etc.

In the end, as a result of the work of just 3 people, there were two piles of bags that amounted to at least as many as depicted in LB's photo, plus 4-5 car tires, a gigantic stack of plastic commercial beverage racks, and a huge pile of broken cement that had all been dumped in the corner lot by some unscrupulous people over time.

[I also wanted to snap a photo of our beauty of a garbage heap for posterity, but just as I thought of doing that our wonderfully efficient Sanitation Department swooped in & took it all away.]

I agree it was really great day & was so wonderful to see so many neighbors out doing their parts, and also hearing all the reports of so many others doing the same throughout the 'hood. I'm definitely feeling the love & can't wait to get out today & have a nice long walk through our beautifully clean streets.

I'm also very optimistic that, perhaps with just a little help from SOSNA, we can all keep up the momentum & schedule some more ongoing clean-up events like this. I think if we keep it up we can definitely make a long-lasting difference.

What, she didn't give blood too?

Dirty, filthy, SOSNA scumbums...

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I'm pretty sure that was due to a SOSNA board memeber, I saw his name on the list of people who picked up supplies from (who else but) the SOSNA staff at Marian Anderson.

I also know for a a fact that a part time SOSNA staffer pickes up around the office a few times a week, oh his own time, not on the clock.

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