A positive story for a change

No Breaking News story, just something good to report....for a change.

As I was walking down 7Mile earlier, I passed by the abandoned buildings located between Greenview and Avon and there was garbage all over the place. Weeds growing wild. One of the trees was knocked down. Basically, it was a dump. I remember this area very well. Back in the 80's, there was a store in the middle and I can't remember the name but they were one of the first to have video games in their stores. There was also a methadone clinic on the corner of 7Mile and Greenview which had the bums hanging on the corner which started the downfall of this block.

Okay, I was walking saw the trash and moved on. As I was making my way back down 7Mille, I had to again pass the area that I just called a dump but there a group of people out there. Men, Women and children were out there cutting the grass, pulling up weeds and picking up trash. The tree that I mentioned being knocked down was being picked up by a group of guys.

We are so used to hearing stories about the worse that is Detroit that we don't get to see or hear about the good. I saw Detroiters caring about their city, their neighborhood and their people making a difference. These are the people that I align myself with. Not the ones that the news show us each night that makes us shake our heads.

Crews to help clean up Detroit :)

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ARISE Detroit and Motor City Blight Busters have teamed up for ARISE's fourth annual Neighborhoods Day.

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Good for them! A serious question... if a group of volunteers manned a bulldozer and whatever else was needed, would the city object to them knocking down burnt-out houses? I know that it's a simplistic question given that you can't just starting stuff down but, would the city get onboard? Surely a neighbourhood with vacant [[and maybe clean) lots are preferable to burnt-out houses??

From the article:

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More than 100 area block clubs and neighborhood groups tackled projects such as demolishing an abandoned house, ...

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Unless you haven't put enough money in a parking meter, the city doesn't show up for much of anything.
It is refreshing to hear of Detroiters cleaning up. You wonder if these are just volunteers from elsewhere or people from the actual neighborhood.

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Originally Posted by marcwigle

Good for them! A serious question... if a group of volunteers manned a bulldozer and whatever else was needed, would the city object to them knocking down burnt-out houses? I know that it's a simplistic question given that you can't just starting stuff down but, would the city get onboard? Surely a neighbourhood with vacant [[and maybe clean) lots are preferable to burnt-out houses??

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I believe there's more to knocking down a vacant house than starting up the old bulldozer. There is probably a liability issue that would keep the city from using untrained volunteers to do that kind of work. Good thought however.

I think its a good idea too, but firstandten is right about liability. I was talking to a truck driver here at my plant who's from Detroit. He said he used to be part of a group or company that would take down the old places just like you said, with a dozer. Problem is he ended up killing a couple folks in the process who were squatting in the homes. Not just in one place, it happened in a couple.

They didn't check, just drove the thing clean thru the places. He admits that was a dumb move, but they were on some time limit :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by firstandten

I believe there's more to knocking down a vacant house than starting up the old bulldozer. There is probably a liability issue that would keep the city from using untrained volunteers to do that kind of work. Good thought however.

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One issue being the hazardous materials that you might blanket the surrounding neighborhoods with.

Yes ! Leave the blanketing of neighborhoods AMONG OTHER THINGS with hazardous toxins to politically connected mickey mouse "contractor" cronies and free market capitali$iSt corporations.

Arise is just one of many groups that clean up blight. When people show up to clean up, one doesn't normally ask if they are from the burbs. One clean up sponsored by a local church on East Warren sticks in my memory, the pastor thought my husband looked sad and gave him a full body blessing. I thought that was sweet.

Squatters become squished. Like the ring to that one.

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Originally Posted by firstandten

I believe there's more to knocking down a vacant house than starting up the old bulldozer. There is probably a liability issue that would keep the city from using untrained volunteers to do that kind of work. Good thought however.

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Oh, I agree... I certainly don't think it would be easy but it would be nice if the powers-that-be and the volunteers could work together [[if they aren't already) to clean these areas up.

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Originally Posted by daddeeo

Squatters become squished. Like the ring to that one.

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Squatters... well, I guess they need a place to live. I'd much rather see the vandals and thieves "squished". Maybe they could round them up, put them in the old train station and drop a bomb on it... oh wait, that would be wrong.

This is the ONLY way a neighbourhood will and can bounce back; when RESIDENTS take up the fight and clean up THEIR own backyards. People can't rely on gov'ts to do what a little sweat equity can.

It would be easier on everyone if we could preemptively prevent the trash from being dumped in the first place. Hmm. :)!

The world's deepest bin

TheFunTheory.com

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Originally Posted by R8RBOB

No Breaking News story, just something good to report....for a change.

As I was walking down 7Mile earlier, I passed by the abandoned buildings located between Greenview and Avon and there was garbage all over the place. Weeds growing wild. One of the trees was knocked down. Basically, it was a dump. I remember this area very well. Back in the 80's, there was a store in the middle and I can't remember the name but they were one of the first to have video games in their stores. There was also a methadone clinic on the corner of 7Mile and Greenview which had the bums hanging on the corner which started the downfall of this block.

Okay, I was walking saw the trash and moved on. As I was making my way back down 7Mille, I had to again pass the area that I just called a dump but there a group of people out there. Men, Women and children were out there cutting the grass, pulling up weeds and picking up trash. The tree that I mentioned being knocked down was being picked up by a group of guys.

We are so used to hearing stories about the worse that is Detroit that we don't get to see or hear about the good. I saw Detroiters caring about their city, their neighborhood and their people making a difference. These are the people that I align myself with. Not the ones that the news show us each night that makes us shake our heads.

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Simply put.....who really wants to hear about a bunch of "Detroiters" doing GOOD in the city when it is so much easier [[and believeable) to write and report about how all they do is destroy, steal and kill?

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Originally Posted by marcwigle

Oh, I agree... I certainly don't think it would be easy but it would be nice if the powers-that-be and the volunteers could work together [[if they aren't already) to clean these areas up.

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I'm sure if you called John from Blight Busters he could tell you, because his volunteers do help demo homes [[he's usually the guy in the heavy machinery).

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Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

Simply put.....who really wants to hear about a bunch of "Detroiters" doing GOOD in the city when it is so much easier [[and believeable) to write and report about how all they do is destroy, steal and kill?

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The FREEP messageboards are littered with irrational and flat out ignorant statements from people who probably DO think that all Detroiters do is destroy, steal and kill.

It is not the writers and reports who do this, it is the people that do not live there AND/OR do not understand [[there are a large number of city and suburban volunteers in those groups). I thought this received a lot of "good" press.