August-Sept Trash Montage

 

 

  To make up for my lack of blog postings over the summer, I will be posting groups of pictures from June to September.  With the help of DPW and the Green Team, we were able to make a dent in the frequency of dumping in our alley.  Though you may not realize it from these pictures, this situation is far better than what we faced two years ago.

Alley Block Party

  Our second annual block party on October 9 did not disappoint!  We had fried fish, homemade french fries, grilled chicken, turkey dogs, sliders and an array of desserts including dirty girl scout cookies and pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes.  Yumm.  Thanks to Jamie for DJing the event and even taking my Motown requests. 

Like last year, this was a great time to get to know some of the new residents and people who came from other blocks.  I would estimate we probably had 45 people in attendance--including the Green Team.  We love them and were so happy that they could attend. 

 

November Sweeps

 The vacant lot in the middle of our alley (3049 0081 or 3100 Park Place NW)  has been the center of illegal dumping, rat infestation, drug dealing, and breeding ground for mosquitoes for at least a decade.  It's remarkable how one blighted property can bring down a neighborhood.  Between 2005-2008, it housed a pile of cement rubble that served as a rat fortress and also as a junkyard for abandoned cars.

This was the lot in June of 2009 before we cleaned it

This is the type of decay the lot breeds.  The piles of dumping and the furniture were used by drug dealers as stash spots.

Part of the contents of three purses we found dumped by the lot this past summer

Dumped construction debris adjacent to the lot

Dime bag in the lot.  We've found many of these as well as a handful of used needles

Another dime bag

The state of the lot has created an environment that fosters decay and dumping not only inside the lot but in the adjacent public spaces. Even many of the neighbors have taken to putting their trashcans on the perimeter of the lot--who is going to say anything to them?  The previous owner lived in Ft. Washington, MD and never visited the property and allowed the weeds to grow literally into trees.  In fact, the weeds were so bad in 2009 that one of the neighbors had to use a machete to chop them down.  The new owner lives in Falls Church, so we'll see if he'll be met with the same fines for neglect as the previous one.  One thing is for sure:  we are not going to let our neighborhood go back to its previous state because of this vacant lot.

Check out how high that grass is.  I believe this picture was taken in March.

Dumping adjacent to the lot

Dumping next to the lot

Dumping adjacent to the lot

As the pictures show, we have quite a challenge on our hands.  With our diligence and the support of CM Graham, DPW Director Howland and Inspector Mines, the Green Team, DCRA, and the beloved Green Team, we've made some headway over the past two years.  We know that this is an unending effort and the moment we turn our back, the problems will return.  We refuse to let that happen.

A member of the Green Team helping clean our alley this summer

Some Members of the Park View Beautification Crew

Outdoor Room For Rent

  Thank you to my wonderful cousin for spending a day of his vacation picking up trash with us!  As always, it is a pleasure to have him in town.  When he returmed home, he was so generous as to send a box stuffed full of work gloves for the Beautification Crew.

6 Blocks and Counting

We have been trying to expand our efforts to surrounding blocks to make a more significant impact on our neighborhood.  We are excited to report that six neighbors on the 500-600 block of Irving have joined us to keep our neighborhood clean.  With this new manpower, this weekend all of us were able to clean Irving and Kenyon St from Sherman to Park Place, the most ground we've covered to date.  Thank you 610 Kenyon! 

Again, more dumping in our alley.  At least we found mail with addresses in the dumped trash.   The usual suspects.

You Are Not Alone

At the behest of neighbors from the 500-600 block of Irving, I checked out the alley behind their house.  It's safe to say that we're not the only ones with dumping problems.  In that alley, the rats live in the lap of luxury and lounge on old mattresses.

3112 Warder, which appears to be abandoned, has invited illegal dumping behind it.  In the front,  broken and boarded up windows.  In the back, shown below, someone has dumped a couch and chair.

                                                                      Front

                                                                 
  
                                                                         Back

Maybe they are trying to compost in the alley...

 Thanks to DPW for picking up all the bulk trash we gathered this past weekend.  It's great to look out our windows and not see a pile of junk staring back at us.

Despite our efforts and DPW's booklets, our neighbors still are placing trash in the alley 4 days early and without the protection of a Supercan.  As a result, animals tear open the bags and allow the trash to blow around the alley.

Status Quo

    During our cleanup yesterday, we were sad and frustrated to see that there were still many flagrant sanitation violations. We counted at least seven violations in the alley, probably three which were ticketable.   We're not talking about open trash can lids, but several instances of illegal dumping including mildew coated textbooks thrown into a trash can (that has been sitting there for two weeks), a broken table, a broken drawer, shattered aquarium, hoolahoops, and last but not least, open plastic shopping bags full of broken beer bottles--and shattered glass all over the ground.

 Above: The aquarium light left in the alley next to 426 Kenyon--matching the broken aquarium that was dumped two weeks ago.  Don't worry, you can still see the aquarium, it's still sitting out there.

Below, we gathered all the trash, bagged it properly, and left it for bulk trash to pick up tomorrow.  Hopefully.

Below: Our clean up on the surrounding 2 blocks