Saturday, October 15, 2011

Join Truman Square Neighbors In Their Autumn Community Clean-Up

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12 comments:

  1. Not sure why we are constantly cleaning up the neighborhood?

    People should stop littering and if it continues, our property taxes should take care of it.

    I already have a full time job- not looking for another one.

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  2. Well, fit foodie, it's volunteer work. So no one is forcing you to do it. I see you're very community minded! Keep that spirit up.

    The fact is, Chicago is broke and there are fewer services, not MORE.

    The fact is, people have never "stopped littering" and your griping ain't gonna make it happen.

    The fact is, you and I can sit around and look at the stuff all winter and say, "I pay taxes!" or we can go out and take care of it for an hour in October.

    The fact is, no one knows a neighborhood like the people who live there.

    The fact is, I'll be donating an hour of my time to help the community I live in look better. I work a full-time job, too. Enjoy that hour! I will.

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  3. I agree with TSN 100%.

    What would the world be without volunteers, if we made everything a paid position...how much would actually NOT get done. Too co$tly!

    We have Clean Slate and they have been doing a good job in the commercial areas.

    Until everybody stops littering (don't hold your breath) this is the next best thing.

    And it is a sociable thing...that counts for something.

    It has been proven that volunteerism benefits and promotes a healthy/fit lifestyle!

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  4. Why are we constantly cleaning up the neighborhood? Because we're constantly cleaning up after people who have chosen to have no stake in the neighborhood--SOME public housing and subsidized housing residents who don't appreciate the gift of a roof over their heads (and who, in their view, have no responsibility to be good neighbors or to clean up after themselves, and who figure that they get everything else for nothing); gangbangers who make the neighborhood less-appealing (and to them, more "business-friendly") by trashing it; homeless people who are frequently mentally-ill and simply don't know any better; kids who follow the lead of their elders ("toss your trash anywhere you feel like") and do what they're taught--NOTHING; visitors who are "only" here for a concert or for classes or for a night out or to score a couple of rocks....

    We can gradually nudge those who choose to be "non-stakeholders" out of the neighborhood...we can do all we can to teach people to respect their neighbors and their surroundings and where we live...we can try to get trash receptacles installed (if we can have guarantees that they will be emptied properly when needed and that they won't be used to store drug stashes and weapons)...and we can try to get more eyes on the streets and more legit traffic on the sidewalks...but we still need to keep on top of the litter problems. We aren't the only ones with litter problems, either--check out the sidewalks and gutters along Halsted and Broadway and Belmont in Lakeview at the end of a weekend!

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  5. TSN-I volunteer plenty, I clean my street for AT LEAST an hour a month, pick up all kind of crap from McDonald's, beer cans and firey hot cheeto wrappers. And frankly I'm sick of it.

    Each morning I look out my window to see what kind of goodies have been left over from the nightly happy hour happening in front of my property.. so don't tell me I'm not doing my part.

    The schools and ghetto people of the neighborhood need to educate their offspring that you don't just go tossing your garbage wherever you please.

    The garbage pick up is a temporary fix for a MUCH larger problem.
    Thanks Bear!

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  6. I will clean up and around my own property. I feel that I should not have to volunteer to clean up other peoples property that are to lazy and wait for volunteers to do it for them.

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  7. I have volunteered several times for neighborhood clean-ups and it is rewarding work.

    On that note, it would be nice to be on the same street cleaning schedule as the surrounding wards. The 46th is one of the very few that only get residential street cleaning once a month (per Shiller) - others are twice a month. This has been brought to Cap's attention so I hope he can rectify the frequency soon.

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  8. I do trashruns all the time in RP, used to pickup Winthrop from Lawrence to Leland.

    I dont see it as an option. It is necessary for public safety to pick up trash and keep it picked up. I have a mini trashrun I do once a day and a major trashrun I do about once a week. Its a never ending battle but I like the challenge.


    It has made a difference. And I have noticed that that stretch of winthrop is overall better.

    I also spray paint over graffiti on light boxes and dumpsters with matching colors.

    Thats what it takes to make a neigbhorhood better. Literally cleaning up the neigbhorhood. Take a look at how the bangers and neredowells look at you when you do it. Betcha those are dirty looks. Why? I wonder....

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  9. Hey, fit foodie, I never said you weren't doing your part. Interesting that you inferred that from my post.

    Just as every home needs a spring and fall cleaning, so does every neighborhood. That's what clean and green is about, and I'm happy to help out.

    If you choose not to pick up trash, there are plenty of other things to do. You could help prep the community garden plot for winter. At least that's something you can't blame on the "non-stakeholders" in the neighborhood. Or you could just come over and have a margarita at Fiesta Mexicana and get to know your neighbors.

    Blaming people just leaves unwanted baggage in my mind. I could sit at home and fume about how other people treat the neighborhood, or I can take ten minutes a week, or an hour in the spring and fall, to help clean it up. I choose the latter. Your choice may differ; whatever it is, I hope it brings you peace and satisfaction.

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  10. Answer. Those guys actually do have a stake in the community. But that stake only exists when the neigbhorhood is doing poorly and has trash all over the place and graffiti too. So they "bangers et. al." dont like it when things improve and thats when they will sometimes vandalize to retaliate.

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  11. Isn't this more of a social event? Afitfoodie you seem bitter.

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  12. Oh, I wanted to add that I was on the 151 and a fine young gentleman was kicking back something in a large bottle, brown paper bag wrapper. He smiled, and chucked it right into the bushes before getting on the bus.

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