Steps Foward.... But Two Back

Just as sure as the Marshall & Adams traffic circle is up and flourishing, and people actually seem to have learned how to negotiate it, Poplar Lawn now deals with a couple of negatives as well. The lesser of these is the fact that post-drug raid Tulip Alley is seeing more traffic, more day and night activity than before. The cops say they are monitoring this, so we'll see what goes down. In times past, Charlotte the Crack Whore, and the late, less-familiar Santa Claus, were annoyances, but familiar to most of us. The new crowd is younger, more thuggish, and at times particularly loud and obnoxious. Keep an eye out and keep hounding the police.
On a sad note, our neighbor Christopher Shore and wife Christine, seem destined to leave the neighborhood, now that Christopher and Sycamore Rouge have parted ways more or less. The exact circumstances remain cloudy, but I think most of us would agree that a theater like Sycamore Rouge benefits greatly from a persona strongly identified with it—an impresario, master of ceremonies as such. In this regard, Christopher excelled and it is hard to imagine the place without him. We wish him luck and hope to see him often, as we wish Beth the best of fortune in taking the reins to carry on.

HPLA:Stuff Update

Hi, all:

I apologize about being lax with the HPLA matters lately. Things had picked up for me (and the other board members too, of course) and time has just slipped by.

I also have to admit to a bit of general apathy alternating with malaise regarding the neighborhood and Petersburg in general. Yes, I went there. I (this is Mady personally, not the board) am frustrated by the wheels spinning and nothing happening.

We've had some bright spots (the lovely traffic circle planting by our neighbors on Marshall Street, the temporary trash cans, a few busts on crime called in by neighbors) but it is frustrating to live in a place where everyone seems to be working so hard only to be ignored by our city government and police. (Again, that's all me talking there.)

The whole thing where we followed the suggestions of the police regarding the park only to be ignored and there-thered by the City Council and City Attorney? That was a real downer. (The afore is my opinion only, again.)

So, I have my grievances. And I know that you all do too. So, what can we do about them? I propose that we all go as a neighborhood to a City Council meeting with an agenda and let them know that we are still here. Instead of all showng up at our own meeting and complaining, let's go to the source. Please send your suggestions to me, and I will circulate for consensus. We can speak as a group, and we can each go up and say our own piece too.

As a neighborhood, we have to get our mojo back. Any suggestions how?

Mady