***The sign is up today that indicates that street cleaning starts on my block in the spring. Actually, the street cleaner has been coming by regularly during the warmer months, but up here on Bennington Street we didn't have to move our cars at a certain day and time, which worked out fine because most of the street was empty with people off at work. I know I am whining about an insignificant matter, but now I have to worry about where I park the night before, which is annoying.
***I've seen some men recently picketing the bank construction sight at the intersection of Bennington, Saratoga and Swift streets. Their placards, I believe, said something about non-union labor at that job. Anyone have any details?
***One block from there, at the corner of Bennington and Harmony, is a one story building with brown paper covering all the windows and the door. A couple months ago I saw a sign in one of the windows that said a convenience store was coming soon, but that sign is gone and I haven't seen any activity there.
***Finally, there is a nice-looking storefront one block over at the corner of Saratoga and Curtis. Someone did some work there to make the building attractive, but the "For rent" signs have been sitting in the windows for a while. I'm not sure what kind of business would succeed there.
2 comments:
Yes, Jim, it may be inconvenient and annoying to move a car prior to street cleaning, but the end result is well worth the effort. So many of us complain about the general dirt and clutter that accumulate during the year (summer, fall, winter and spring) and knowing that the city is going to implement a real street cleaning program after strong lobbying to have that happen is welcome news to many. We can't have it both ways: complain that the neighborhood is dirty and complain that we find it annoying to move our cars for the street sweepers. City living comes with many challenges: lack of enough driveways, commuter parkers, drive-through litterers, etc., not to mention residents that show a lack of respect for the community by contributing to the filth. I, for one, am happy that the program has been expanded. The only concern I have, which I have voiced repeatedly to Sal, is that the city stop sweeping just because an arbitrary calendar date dictates that stoppage. The reality is that we have many warm and fair days during the winter months when street cleaning can occur. It is as is often said, "a work in process." The results remain to be determined.
In truth the area around my apartment is pretty clean and most of the cars are gone during the day; but hey, I admit that I am whining and not really complaining.
Your point about not allowing the calendar to dictate the schedule makes perfect sense. For two years I lived in Portland, Maine, and the signs indicated year-round cleaning. When there were snow piles on the ground they were removed on the appointed day and when the streets were clear the street sweeper came by. Makes sense to me.
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