Hire neighborhood czar

Demolishing vacant/condemned buildings and fencing in empty lots will not guarantee a more livable and more beautiful neighborhood without the personal responsibility of the neighborhood's residents. Each individual on each block must be encouraged to do his/her part to keep the neighborhood a clean, healthy, and safe environment for everyone, young and old.

To support this commitment by individuals in each neighborhood, I suggest that the mayor create a permanent, salaried position to be filled by a person with strong leadership skills. This neighborhood director or development person would give local residents strong incentives to maintain clean homes, lots and sidewalks. With his or her initiative and supervision, lots left empty by building demolition could be transformed into flower or vegetable gardens or small parks for social gatherings for that particular block.

To make neighborhood revitalization attainable, the neighborhood director could facilitate the election of a "block leader" by residents. The block leader's responsibility would be to ensure that the block is kept clean and to request needed aid, equipment or materials from the city or neighborhood development organization. In addition, it might be beneficial to hire support staff efficient in management and maintenance to instruct neighborhood residents in these skills.

Sister Kathleen Toman
King of Peace School
Grays Ferry

Reward cleanliness

Most streets in Philadelphia have houses on them, not lots. The home owners, if motivated properly, would be in charge of cleaning their own streets - in front of their house, as well as sidewalks and steps - as we did in the old days. City workers would then focus on streets where there were lots, fields and nondomestic structures (thereby not putting them out of jobs or causing a problem with the unions).

The motivation would be money - of course. Pride of being clean - maybe the cleanest street, division or ward in Philly - also would enter into the equation. Leadership and peer pressure also would enter into it.

The monetary reward for having the cleanest street or prettiest street could come from rebates in property taxes, if not outright cash awards to each family in the division. It also could be creation of a park or an enhancement of an existing facility. If a whole ward won, the first prize would be accordingly enhanced.

Sarah Snape
King of Prussia

A `to do' list

What must be done to make all of Philadelphia's neighborhoods places in which people want to live?

Force the mayor, city councilmen, all police, firefighters and teachers to live in Philadelphia - no exemptions.

Supply the schools with books, pencils and paper. Buildings should be kept in good repair. Children should be taught black history as well as white history.

Wash streets each week - as in years long ago.

Protect vacant homes. Turn vacant lots into neighborhood gardens - perhaps the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society might help.

Forbid citizens from throwing candy wrappers, potato-chip bags, cigarette-package wrappings, quick food containers into the streets. Spitting on Philadelphia streets is unhealthy and unsightly - especially where children are playing

Put out trash cans and bags only on the night before a pickup date - not two or three days before.

City Hall is responsible for all of Philadelphia not just Chestnut Street, and we should never let City Hall forget this fact.

Suzanne Vaughn
Tioga