Monday, July 19, 2010

It's just a matter of Town Pride!

The week I just returned from in South Carolina was very fun and enlightening.


One of the first things I saw was how clean the various towns I visited were. No street trash, no trash, except for one small area of the roads with trash laying along side and most of the properties were well groomed and taken care of.

As I found out with the people I talked too and asked why the streets and sidewalks were cleaned and well groomed (also well constructed), everyone said it was a matter of community/town pride.

So, as I’ve traveled the streets of our town, even before my vacation and now after my vacation, is why are the streets of Columbia trashed with trash and weeds.

It’s not everywhere mind you, but, more places than it should be.

Why? I think I got the answer when I was down south – community/town pride.

Again, I’m not saying we don’t it, but you don’t have to look real far in town not to see it.

Why? Well, perhaps we take for granted someone else will clean up the mess.

Perhaps, which I agree with, we have too many out “out of towners,” who want us to live by their lifestyles. And it should be the other way around, the “out of towners” should live as us native Colunbians live.

Until that changes, our town is going to continue to be trashed.

We need to get that PRIDE back in our town and make it a better place to live, work and play.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

yeah, it would be awesome to see your neighbors out sweeping the curb and sidewalk area and putting that trash in to a bag for regular trash. if you walk down locust st in the mornings you'll see a business owner or two who sweeps their sidewalks daily!!!! thank you! why doesn't everybody sweep and pick up trash on their sidewalks and curb areas???????

Anonymous said...

Up the fee that our landlords pay, this will rid town of the low-lives, they must be more selective to whom they rent to...NO MORE SECTION 8 HOUSING. Success breeds Success. Trash Breeds Trash. Council get off your asses and do something. We want our town back. How about Vigilante groups patroling town. We could call ourselves THE NEW TOWN COUNCIL.

Anonymous said...

Now that we have four Code Enforcement people, they should be out and about. That was the plan according to the mayor at last month's council meeting. Has anyone seen them walking the streets?

Anonymous said...

the current value of property makes it too easy for the riff raff to get in one way or another - the best way to get the quality of living up is to get the value of Real Estate up - through Turkey Hill Experience, River Park, Farmers Market, Antique Centers, etc., etc., but all together with all the good things happening - it's still not enough - we need more projects, more promoting and marketing of the town, and less wastefull government spending!

pk

Anonymous said...

The way to get more money for the town is to fine those who brake the code's weekly for months and years. I have several in my area. I am always calling Code Enforcement and with the help of the Mayor was able to get some one out. I have reported people for the codes being broke. Once for 6 months straight every week about trash container on the pavement for weeks. Weeds or snow not being removed. Same people. Fine those people after 3 letters. People don't care about their property anymore. Most can't speak English or their church owns the property! I'm not complaining of their nationalty just that they don't care about how their homes look or if people have to walk in the street because of the bikes or trash on the pavements. Also we have a school bus every Sunday pick up kids for church blocking the street crossings at 3rd. and Maple every week while they get off the bus go to the house and wait to get the kids and get back on the bus and go 1/2 block and do it again. This bus is double parked the whole and each time! We need to get our town back to the clean and proud town it was! People are really getting upset with the lack of enforcement and watching our neighborhoods go down while taxes go up!!!!

Anonymous said...

I live where there is a bus stop only several feet from my house. Many people will sit on my steps while waiting for the bus, which I don't normally mind. Well several weeks ago on a Thursday just before noon a young, pregnant Indian woman who lives in an apartment across the street sat on my steps. I thought she was waiting for the bus. Then an Indian man came up and sat a few minutes with her, then they both got up and walked away. Just before they got up I thought I saw some papers leave her hands but wasn't positive. I was going to check my garden but thought "no, I am always thinking the worst of people" I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Well my curiosity got the best of me and I went out to check. Sure enough, she disposed of her junk mail in my garden after sitting on MY STEPS!!! People just have no respect for other peoples property and in many cases, even their own. So consider this fair WARNING: anyone else who would like to sit on my steps and throw your trash in my garden, I WILL CALL THE POLICE!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have a park bench on the pavement in front of my porch sitting between two planters. I looked out one Sunday and a van was in the yellow line parking space with the door open with kids inside and sitting on my bench were the mother feeding her kids ice cream and droppings all over my bench and pavement. I need to say she was Indian also. I open the door and ask if she was waiting for someone in the block she said no.Than proceeded to change the diapper on my bench. Needless to say I lost it. I said this is not a park this is public property and your park in a no parking zone move on. She did and left the soiled diapper and ice creasm mess behind on my property!! Today I look across the street and watch weeds grown again some 3 ft. high. Want to see them? Drive pass 347 N. Third and enjoy them. Feel free to slip on the pavement this winter. Also get the feel of a amusement water fall by standing under the "spoutless" gutter!

SH

Anonymous said...

i really agree with the vigilante group - the NEW TOWN COUNCIL - where can i sign up and all my friends ????? let's get this party started !