I love "Mr. Trash Wheel" for the garbage it collects from the Inner Harbor and its symbolism: It says the city has a deep understanding of the environmental impacts of litter. Same for the Midtown community Clean Team that sweeps through Bolton Hill on its "Litter-VAC." When I see it, I know the city cares for the streets of Baltimore.
Make that some of the streets. Where are the similar effort in our city's bleaker neighborhoods? Perhaps this kind of social responsibility only pertains to areas that attract tourists.
I recently ventured into Penn North, a community in West Baltimore not more than seven blocks from my house. I am ashamed to admit that it took me three years of living here to spend quality time there. Driving through it on the way to Mondawmin Mall, you don't really see it — or its sea of litter. But it's unavoidable once you stop and walk its streets, as residents do day in and day out.
What are we going to do about the litter problem there and in other underserved communities in Baltimore? Where do we think all of that litter will flow with a big rain storm? If we want to keep the harbor and the ocean clean, we need to begin with the source and clean up our streets — all of them.
The problem is not only detrimental to the health of the environment, but the health of our citizens. Physical disorder in an environment has been linked to a range of poor health outcomes including cardiovascular disease (e.g., hypertension and myocardial infarction) and mental illness (e.g., depression, post traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse).
If immediate attention is not devoted to the condition of the landscape in these Baltimore communities, a message is being sent that the city does not care for the well being of the population in these areas and, therefore, does not care for the environment as a whole.
I feel very lucky to live in the beautiful, historic neighborhood of Bolton Hill. It is full of clean, well kept gardens and green spaces. I am overjoyed by the care the area receives from its community of neighbors and city employees. I see this kind of care as a testament to the love people have for this place, this city. It is my hope that all neighborhoods one day receive equal attention from the city.
Amanda Agricola, Baltimore