Having a clean neighborhood means more than talking about it, it means taking a personal interest in helping the community by getting involved.
While there are some North End residents and businesses that take the time to clean the sidewalks and curbs in front of their homes or place of business, there are simply not enough of them to make a difference in what has basically become a trash filled neighborhood.
Instead of just waiting for the city to do its cleanup program, people should take a little of their time to help make a difference in what has become a filthy situation that attracts rodents and could become a health problem.
There was a time when the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) would find a deserving person or a member of the business community to recognize for their cleanup efforts, calling them “Good Neighbors†and presenting them with a special award.
However, this effort has taken place far and in between, possibly because the neighborhood group can’t find anyone deserving of this honor.
There appears to be no community pride in possibly the best neighborhood in the city to live in.
Saying that’s the city’s job, we pay taxes for them to keep the community clean, has become stale.
Maybe, the city could use a little help now and then, but it certainly is not getting any real support at this time.
Having a much cleaner neighborhood means more than just talking about it.