Clean out the city’s bad apples
I read the letter from Mr. Gerald Lombardo in Monday’s newspaper. I totally agree that there are so many properties in Uniontown that need torn down or repaired. I live in the East End of town. We recently had two cleanup efforts, but the problem is, the people responsible for all the trash will never pick it up. I clean up trash from my block at least a few times a week. Due to some bad neighbors, it ends up back the next day. You see, we live in a disposable society. Parents have no respect for the Earth, and therefore teach their kids the same values, or lack there of.
I also agree that ordinances should be enforced, but when the police don’t come half the time for real crimes, how do you expect them to enforce ordinances too? I guess they are tired of coming to this neighborhood.
Uniontown needs a different kind of clean-up, too. When I can’t even sit on my own porch without witnessing a drug deal every day, I would say it’s time for a change. I even had one city policeman ask me, ” Do you own your house?” I said, “Yes.” He replied, ” If you didn’t want to be in the middle of Lemon Wood Acres you shouldn’t have bought your house here.”
I live about five blocks from where Lemon Wood used to be. I always thought that you as a taxpayer should be able to live wherever you choose, and still feel safe. Isn’t that what the police are for? Don’t get me wrong, there are good police out there, but speaking from experience, I have had more negative interactions than positive.
If you are wondering, no, I have never been arrested. I work full time, and I pay my taxes. It has gotten so bad here that I had my house for sale for almost a year, with no luck. I just can’t figure out why people don’t have any pride in the place they live. On my block, out of 10 houses , three are problems.
One is condemned, one is nothing but trouble, and the other is a junkyard. I just can’t understand why people cannot respect their neighbors and stop just throwing their trash in the street. I have tried to ask nicely, but that just makes it worse. Some just think, “Someone else can clean it up.”
I just want to let everyone know, especially the police, that there are good people here. They say to call if you see something suspicious; well, I see activity daily here. Just think about how you would feel if you had to live here. Would you sit idly by out of fear?
Well I don’t blame those who do, but I can’t. Wake up people; if the good citizens stick together, we can change things. Remember this, one bad apple can ruin the bunch. The bad apples here are running the show. So let’s all pitch in and do our part to keep the neighborhood clean, safe and drug-free for our children.
Danielle Hanan
Uniontown