Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Our alleys

A big thank you to all who volunteered this weekend for the alley cleanup of the Hanson/Waltham alley, and for the individuals that gave the Waltham/UP alley a cleanup.   With this weekends' efforts, all of our alleys have now had some level of cleaning.

It's up to all of us to help keep our alleys in a clean state.

Aside from looking nice and being used to move things in and out of our homes, our alleys are important for our first responders.   During all our cleanups we've found that the alleys have become dumping grounds. Contractors using the alley to dispose of things they don't want to throw out, including soil they've dug up and decided to dump into the alleys. Residents using the alleys for storage of items, or as a place to throw out trash.   Added to that were fallen branches and blown-in trash that no one had ever cleaned up.

At best, the alleys end up looking messy.   At worst, they may come a day when police or fire respond to a call and can't get through to your home, or get injured trying to navigate debris in the dark while responding to a call.   Unkempt alleys can also give the impression that the area is not cared for, and overgrown trees and plants can make good hiding places for those with ill intent.


To keep our alleys clean and safe, we ask everyone to

  • Clean the alley behind your own home regularly. 
  • Trim low hanging tree branches and overgrown bushes that might keep the alley dark or provide hiding places for thieves.
  • Do not throw trash into the alleys.  
  • Do not store items in the alleys.   While it seems convenient, it clutters the alleys and can impede first responders
  • Police ask that you add your house number to your rear gates, again so first responders can find your home should an emergency ever happen.
  • The police also remind everyone with a gate do put a secure locking mechanism on the gate.  During all our alley walk-throughs, BPD was able to walk into almost half of the back yards due to gates not being locked or have an easily defeated gate latch.


If we all pitch in we can keep our alleys clean and safe.


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