Hey neighbors,
i live at 23rd and Jefferson, and for the past year of me living there (I am a new homeowner btw), I have been picking up other people’s trash (mostly from Ezells and/or processed junk from AM/PM) that spans the whole length of where i live. I am not writing to vent, well…maybe a little. I am here to report that Metro and the City of Seattle will (hopefully) be putting 1-2 trash cans in the area: one at the bus stop and 1 on the corner (status pending on both accounts).
I hope they see fit to do so. There was a trash can there at one point, but the Seattle Parks Dept. took it for some odd reason. Wish me luck — i am just trying to be a proud homeowner and keep our neighborhood and streets free of trash.
Thanks for reading my first post!
Brian
PS: Having the proposed trash cans there may not stop lazy people from littering, but I hope it will condition those that do that (it is none of you, i know) to begin using these new (proposed receptacles)!
This is great. I use that bus stop on Jefferson all the time and it is pretty ragged. Maybe there is also a solution to the pile of debris next to the bus shelter?
I live on 19th and have been picking up trash constantly for almost 4 years, no one else seems to mind it lying around. If everyone just picked it up when they saw it, we wouldn’t have a trash problem. keep it up!
I’m a retire City of Seattle Parks Dept. maintance work. If these cans are across the street by Edgar Evans Pool that’s park dept. responsibility to empty the garage can’s and pick up litter around it. But sad to say Mayor Nickles has pulled the plug. He wants the parks dept. to pick up all of the cans.
Us too, we live at 21st and Jefferson, lots of trash always picking it up. I think it may come with the territory. If enough of us show that we like and love our neighborhood eventually it will come around.
(OP – Do you live at the house with the great new parking strip planters? If so, contact, I’m curious about your design – [email protected])
You should contact Garfield about this… I’ve noticed that blocks near schools are frequently trashy in terms of sidewalk litter, and sadly enough high school areas seem to have it the worst. I will say that at least with school out soon there should be less litter. Good Luck!
Picking up trash is my middle name (23-24th Cherry) Few years back i had a can installed on the corner but had to dump it myself cause the city wouldnt collect it regularely. The majority of the trash originates at Ezells and Am/Pm and until those business owners have ownership of this issue the problem will never end. Step one: request a good neighbor agreement from the business’s step 2) make a written complaint 3) start a legal action . If all else fails either accept the problem or move.
i agree with this. maybe Principal Howard can have his gym teachers send the kids out to pick up trash. i know, i know…risk, blah, blah, friggin’ blah, but cappy’s does it for their workouts and are amazing neighbors.
i’d also say it starts with families and neighbors. i see kids leave the Grocery outlet, start eating a candy bar, and by the time they reach my house they are 1/2 done with it and discard the wrapper. when i see it, i say something. say something.
What do the owners of Ezell’s and AM/PM have to do with trash down the street from them? Cleaning up their own property, absolutely, but I’m not sure its fair to ask them to clean up the blocks all around them. (I live close to the location and pick up my fair share of garbage too, the Garfield kids seem to love my neatly trimmed lawn…)
It’s not limited to those blocks closest to the school; I have to clean up trash from my yard daily over here at 26th and Washington. Drink bottles, chicken bones, food wrappers and whatnot, people just seem to toss it into the yard as they pass. It even gets onto my porch.
It’s about these lost souls zombies that wander the CD streets with no hope and no direction in life. they don’t care about their life/future so to expect them to care about other peoples property is a bit of stretch.
i’m not anti can but the problem is a symptom of a much larger issue
Yup, that’s me! I keep trying to beautify the neighborhood by picking up trash, weeding the traffic circles and planting more and more plants. I’ll email you. We’ll be working out there this evening and Sunday trying to finish!
I may have a solution to your trash problem. Community Court offers misdemeanor offenders the opportunity to complete community service hours in lieu of jail time. Partnering with community groups, participants are led by our AmeriCorps team to ‘give back’ to the neighborhoods where they offended. Other service activities are welcome as well, such as planting and maintaining traffic circles. In order for us to begin this effort, we would need to identify a group, such as a blockwatch, to partner with. We currently participate in other community revitalization activities citywide, but we do have one to two days a month open.
If anyone is interested, please email me at [email protected]
Hey everyone, thank you for the wonderful comments — it is clear that i am not alone in this. Per the last great comment about it being a much larger issue… I completely agree with you. In the meantime, by all of us cleaning up will hopefully condition people (or, zombies..ha!) that this isn’t the ghetto, this is our home/neighborhood and we will KEEP it clean.
Great, thanks Stephanie — i will email you!
This is pretty much my take on this problem, too…if Garfield was put on notice and got some involvement about helping to keep THEIR neighborhood cleaner, it would likely go a long way to putting the issue to rest!
I want to add my thanks to folks who pick up our neighborhood. I hope your new cans help along 23rd help. I’m at 20th and Washington, regularly picking up trash that gathers along the east edge of Pratt Park. I’ve seen too many people, standing feet from a trash can, just empty their hands. I have a growing collection of tiny crack baggies — most picked up within 50 feet of the kiddie playground — that I hope to present to the city via one of the local TV stations.
It operates on Saturday mornings and picks up trash between 23rd-25th, Alder to Cherry. I am not sure but I think it is a form of punishment for the students who pick up the trash as the group changes from week to week. The janitors used to pick up the trash daily, but that doesn’t seem to be happening lately.
Picking up the trash? lord, here come the yuppies.
Well neighbors, looks like there is quite a bit of support for cleaner streets. When I bought here ( 1995 ), I used to take a plastic bag out twice daily, start picking up trash, and stop only when my bag was full. This was day after day, week after week, and it always seemed like there was fresh glass, and trash. Rarely did I get farther than my own area in front of both my two neighbors and my own house. Finally one day, I noticed I had gotten the whole side of my block, and finished filling my bags on the opposite side of the street. Soon, neighbors would come out and join me, and now our loose trash is very manageable. True, we still have to keep ahead of it, but now, each of us picks up what ever they see as they walk by. I think in our case, people are just seeing a little pride in our neighborhood, and are less apt to leave trash
Wishinh you well on your efforts.
Hey Adam,
thanks so much for your comment — this gives me alot of hope knowing that there are those, like yourself that have been (and are continuing to) keeping our neighborhood and streets clean — thanks for your encouragement!
Are you the neighbor who just built raised beds at the sidewalk along Jefferson, across from Ezelle’s? They look great and welcome to the neighborhood.
We live at the corner of Alder and 24th and I am always picking up trash and other odd tings like shopping carts and empty coolers. I think that if we all keep it up, others will start to get involved in picking up as well.
It’s a neighborhood effort and it will be worth it.
Hey Dora,
no, wish they were. We live on 23rd proper…not far from there though. I like those planters as well — they look real nice. Quite a contrast to the home across the street. No comment there, right!?
For sure, i agree. But, however…i am referring to the opposite corner, where the Medgar-Evars pool is located. Thanks for your comment!