[CAL-VIP] Shadyside Newslitter, Volume 7 Number 11
Citizens Against Litter
Shadyside Newslitter (TM) Volume 7, Number 10
"Keeping Shadyside clean since 2005" November 3, 2011
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www.citizensagainstlitter.org in...@citizensagainstlitter.org
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This Newslitter is distributed monthly by Citizens Against Litter in
Shadyside. We send the Newslitter to our volunteers and to others who
are or should be concerned about litter. Most neighborhoods have
groups against litter. We participate in the on-going Redd Up campaign
in 90 city neighborhoods started by our late Mayor Bob O'Connor and
continued by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. There is much to do to make over
Pittsburgh into one of America's cleanest cities.
In this newsletter:
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* Our mission
* Original 12 mad men and women
* Mayor launches Redd Up Zones
* Clean Green Hill formed
* This takes the cake and litter too
* Oct. Redd Up a success
* 20 schools stashed the trash
* Think Spring. Think Redd Up
* "I Litter" awards
* Garbagevilles
* Important phone numbers
* Visit Clean Pittsburgh Commission website
* Next to last word
* The last word
Our mission
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Our mission is to inspire people throughout the city and region to
collect litter and connect neighborhoods.
Original 12 mad men and women
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Recently Mr. Letterman tooted his car horn at two special women: Ann
Young and Mary Connolly, and it got him reminiscing. They were among
the l2 angry people -- the original ones -- who added the "s" to
Citizens Against Litter in Shadyside in April 2005. That's how long
we've been around. Obviously, we had one thing in common: We didn't
like litter and did something about it. Citizens Against Litter
originals are certainly not the only ones or the first ones to pick up
litter in our city. But we did our part advancing Redd Ups that now
happen in most of the city's 90 neighborhoods and many communities in
Allegheny, Beaver and other counties.
Starting the initiative with Mr. Litterman, in addition to Ann and
Mary, were: Jake and Arielle Krohn, Leona Paradise, Phil Powell,
Kathryn Roeder, Eleanor Slater, Rochelle Solomon and Matt and Marcie
Weinstein. Add Gregg Caliguiri (Walnut Grill) and Richard Ratner
(William Penn Tavern) of the Shadyside Chamber of Commerce to the list
for their encouragement and endorsement and before them City
Councilman Bill Peduto.
We can't forget Post-Gazette Editor David Shribman either who wrote us
our first letter of support. He was responding to our op ed piece in
the PG about removing litter in our city.
Mayor launches Redd Up Zones
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The newest weapon to reduce and eliminate litter in our city is the
Redd Up Zone initiative. Mayor Ravenstahl announced it October 21. In
this program, corporations, businesses, groups of all sorts will be
invited to adopt an area, like a 1/2 mile stretch of street, and
commit to keeping it clean at least four times a year for two years.
The program should be welcomed with open arms by Clean Pittsburgh
stewards in all of the 90 neighborhoods. Imagine, when 100 groups of
10 volunteers each adopt a zone this would add 1,000 volunteers to the
10,000 that turned out for last month's Redd Up. There are more than
900 miles of streets in Pittsburgh so when 100 groups adopt 1/2 mile
stretches they are committing to clean about 5% of city streets.
That's impressive!
Two neighborhoods benefitting immediately are the Strip and
Lawrenceville. The Mayor announced that Boy Scout Troop #73 has
committed to cleaning four blocks of Butler St. and Mulberry Way in
Lawrenceville. The Heinz Historical Center has adopted both Penn Ave.
and Smallman St. between 11th and 14th in the Strip District.
Clean Green Hill
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Congratulations to neighborhood Clean Pittsburgh Stewards in the Hill
District and Uptown. They're connected literally into a collaborative
effort under the banner Clean Green Hill. Among their projects are the
creation of a multi-area volunteer cleanup coalition, a focused trash
survey, identification of problem dumping areas, and 5-10 community
memorial gardens/rock gardens. For more information, contact
<cleangre...@yahoo.com>. It's original, positive thinking like
this that earned the Hill District and Uptown communities a "Bob
Award" in 2010 as a "Most Connected Neighborhood."
This takes the cake and litter too
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Mr. Litterman sees a lot in his travels around the neighborhood. Most
of it goes unreported. But the apartment building at 5525 Ellsworth
Ave. in Shadyside has been a fixture on the Garbageville list, both
front and rear. Mr. Litterman cleans up the mess often. The super or
building manager fails to get the message. Several months ago the
super or building manager placed a garbage can at the front entrance.
The can fills up. The can overflows. Litter is scattered on the lawn,
under bushes, and on the walkway. The can is emptied once in a great
while but the damage has already been done. Big league litter on a big
league street in full view of hundreds of cars that use Ellsworth
Avenue daily. Pretty awful. This situation has been reported to Public
Works Environmental Services and the Bureau of Building Inspectors.
October Redd Up a success
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Summing up his thoughts, Mr. Letterman wrote: "Sunday morning -- the
day after the Redd Up -- I walked clean streets in Shadyside. I'm
betting this positive experience was repeated in most neighborhoods by
many. Some city residents were volunteers. Most were not. It makes
little difference. The bottom line is we got rid of old litter and are
in better shape to deal with the fresh litter that will surely drop.
My thanks and appreciation to the 10,000 volunteers for a job well
done. Among them were 2,525 students participating in 'Pitt Make a
Difference Day' -- a turnout that had to be one of the largest by a
single group on the National event that attracts three million."
Based on reports from 30% of the participating neighborhoods in and
outside the city, volunteers collected about 70 tons of litter and
trash.
20 schools stashed the trash
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There may have been more, but we have the names of 20 Pittsburgh
schools that registered and participated in last month's Stash the
Trash event. More than 2,000 kids picked up litter from their
campuses. They were: Urban Pathways Charter School, Saint Rosalia
Academy, Sunnyside K-8, Carmalt, Liberty K-5, Roosevelt, Fort Pitt
ALA, Banksville K-5, Mifflin, Arsenal preK-5, Colfax, Dilworth,
Arsenal 6-8, University Prep at Milliones, Grandview, Spring Hill,
Immaculate Conception, Faison K-5, Student Achievement Center and
Linden.
Think Spring. Think Redd Up
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Earth Day in 2012 is Sunday, April 22. Start thinking about our next
citywide Redd Up that will probably be that weekend. We're waiting for
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to set the official date for the Great PA
Cleanup.
"I Litter" awards
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Advertising materials turn into litter in Shadyside and elsewhere.
Businesses and sometimes non-profits are often responsible when they
put their business on Shadyside streets. There has been less of this
kind of littering recently. Here are October's litterers:
* Kaplan Career Institute
* Nameless nutrition & weight loss company
* Vybz Machine Reggae
Garbagevilles
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Garbagevilles are houses, buildings, streets and places that are a
mess. Some because of litter; some because of unswept leaves; some
because of trash and junk on their property. Some because garbage cans
sit in the front of their houses. Many because of the absence of lids
on garbage cans and open waste containers. Some of these Shadyside
Garbagevilles are always a mess. This is an incomplete list of course.
* 6111 Fifth Ave. (rear)
* 5523 Ellsworth Ave. (back)
* 5525 Ellsworth Ave. (front & rear)
* 5527 Ellsworth Ave. (rear)
* 10 S. Graham St. (side & back)
* 621 Bellefonte St. (front)
* 624 Bellefonte St. (front)
* 626 Bellefonte St. (front)
* 702 Bellefonte St. (front)
* 710 Bellefonte St. (back)
* Earle Apts., Elmer & Bellefonte (rear)
* 5500-08 Elmer St. (side)
* 5505 Elmer St. (side)
* 631 Ivy St. (rear)
* 703 Ivy St. (rear)
* 705 Ivy St. (rear)
* 727 Ivy St. (front, side)
* 816 Ivy St. (rear)
* 918 Ivy St. (front, side)
* 922 Ivy St. (side)
* 5528 Alder St (rear)
* 5505-07 Howe St. (front)
* 730 Summerlea St. (front)
* Dumpster Alley (behind Walnut St. stores)
* Victoria's Secret, Walnut St. (rear)
* Convenience Store/Center (Ellsworth & Summerlea)
* Wendy's, Center Ave. & Baum Blvd.
* S. Graham (between Center & Baum Blvd.)
Important phone numbers
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Need to contact the city about something that's been bothering you,
like potholes and graffiti? Call the 311 Response line (alternate
number is 412-255-2621). Your request will be logged and sent to the
proper department. Want to contact someone directly? The following
list may help.
* Mayor's Office (412-255-2626)
* Littering (412-255-2621)
* State Littering Hotline (1-888-548-8372)
* Abandoned Houses (412-255-2175)
* Abandoned Cars (412-255-4776)
* Weeds/Litter/Bad Sidewalks (412-255-4155)
* Building Inspection (412-255-2176)
* Public Works Main # (412-255-2790)
* Refuse/Recycling (412-255-2773)
* Potholes (412-255-2720)
* Graffiti Watch (412-496-2272)
* Graffiti Busters ((412-255-2872))
* Report Graffiti Happening to You (9-1-1)
* Report Graffiti in Neighborhood (3-1-1)
* Report Mail Box Graffiti (412-359-7845)
* City Planning (412-255-2200)
* Parking Authority (412-560-7275)
* City Council (412-255-2142)
* Environmental Services (412-255-2780)
* Allegheny County Health Dept. (412-578-8390)
* Police, Zone 4 (412-422-6520)
* Police, Zone 5 (412-665-3605)
Visit Clean Pittsburgh Commission website
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Visit the new CPC website. It will keep expanding with information
about what CPC does, how to get involved, resources and news:
<http://www.cleanpittsburgh.org>
Next to last word
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Mr. Litterman and Steelers fans have come to expect the Steelers to
pick up yards in the Red Zone. Now, though, Pittsburghers can look
forward to all kinds of groups picking up yards of litter in the
newly-announced Redd Up Zones program.
The last word
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Remember. Rome wasn't redd up in a day either.
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The Newslitter is a publication of Citizens Against Litter, a
volunteer organization dedicated to keeping our neighborhoods free
of litter. To add a new name or to remove your name from the email
list, drop us a line at <in...@citizensagainstlitter.org> or
<boris.w...@verizon.net>.
(C) 2011, Citizens Against Litter
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