Adopt-A-Street

Did you know that if you adopt a mile or more of street, agreeing to clean it at least four times per year, the city will not only provide you cleaning supplies (garbage bags, shovels, rakes, graffiti removal kits, etc.) but will install two signs in your adopted area with your group’s name on it? Neither did I! But it’s true.

Thus, the active membership of the semi-fictitious East Wallingford Hot Tub Association, inspired as much by dreams of pristine streets as by the idea of official city signs declaring East Wallingford Hot Tub Association turf, coffee’d themselves up and set out in the Latona area this past Saturday. The enterprise took the 7 of us (including one 8-week-old boy and two affable conscripts from the Netherlands) just under 2 hours and netted three contractor bags full of filth, gloved and bare hands plucking flotsam and jetsam from gutters and sidewalks.

Some interesting patterns emerged. For example:

• Olympia: Favorite beer of those who discard their cans on the ground
• Parliament: Favorite cigarette of those who discard their butts on the ground
• Nutri-Grain / Trader Joe’s bars: Favorite snack of those who discard their wrappers on the ground

In other news, it must have been laundry day on Latona, where we found no fewer than 5 pairs of socks, and 44th Ave between 5th Ave and Discovery House (neé First Church of the Nazarene) is a apparently a highway of activity for those who discard condoms and coke spoons (below).

Saturday was our first trial outing. We’ll be deploying in greater numbers shortly, so drop me an e-mail (jordan (at) hive-mind.com) if you’re interested in joining. If you’re interested in adopting your own street, visit the SPU Adopt-a-Street web site (where you’ll find a map of the street already adopted, along with their owners).

Oh, and mind your butts.