Volunteer Programs Play A Big Role In Turning Things Around

It’s time to really clean up our neighborhood. Over the years, dump passes have been offered to West Central residents and that has been successful for the folks who used them. However, there are areas in West Central that remain littered with garbage, old furniture, junk cars, illegal dumping, and eyesores.

It might appear that those of us who live here don’t care about our neighborhood or the quality of our lives. I aim to dispel that myth and to acknowledge the work of a group to clean up the neighborhood.

First of all, we have a clear vision of West Central as a key player in Spokane’s urban renewal. Bordered on two sides by the Spokane River, within easy walking distance of downtown, West Central is a gem.

With affordable, intact real estate, the charm of Victorian and Craftsman homes, streets lined with large trees, and an excellent location, West Central is the neighborhood of the future. We envision a neighborhood with virtually no trash, litter or junk vehicles, easily accessible, paved alleys, well-managed rentals, homes brought up to standard by landlords and homeowners, zero tolerance for drug houses, a neighborhood where residents feel connected, safe and invested. We want people to grow roots here.

A year ago, West Central had a surplus in its dump-pass fund. Unable to let that go, a group of us planned two Saturday alley cleanups. We targeted the alleys, let the residents know we were coming, rolled up our sleeves and, armed with donated pickups and 20 die-hard volunteers, successfully hauled out 12 tons of trash in two mornings.

Heady with our success, three of us formed a task force and spent the winter planning a much larger cleanup for the spring, West Central Cleanup 2000. We had 26 volunteers on board.

Buoyed by a grant from the Health Improvement Partnership through the Neighborhood Council, we planned a two-day assault on a 16-square-block area. Volunteers delivered fliers to each home and on the weekend of Mother’s Day, this hard-working group of unsung heroes hauled 37 tons of trash to the dump. Residents with trashy yards who didn’t participate were written up by the city for code violations.

Currently, seniors and disabled residents are being assisted by volunteers who are willing to prune, rake, weed and haul trash for them. And we are on our second run of dump passes.

We have a commitment to West Central. We also have a wish list that includes a better-manned, proactive code enforcement department that has the power to really enforce, our city’s new junk car ordinance be more than lip service, and landlords be brought to task when they allow their properties to house drug dealers and pile up with trash. We could use a pickup (that runs!), more funding and more volunteers.

For more information, contact Stephanie Swan, Task Force Chair, West Central Cleanup 2000, at 325-1722.

At a community forum to discuss the West Central neighborhood, we asked for solutions to the area’s low-rent reputation and high crime rate.Today, we present three essays from readers. See related stories under headlines: Landlords must share responsibility for neighborhood; and Higher wages and subsidized rents would help this area