Heavy rains and sun bring overgrowth to the blight
Complaints will come with the certainty of death and taxes.
Not in dribs and drabs but as steady as rain that fell all last week. Expect a deluge of concerns about cityowned houses, properties and parks as a predicted week of sunshine produces weeds.
And just before a Memorial Day weekend holiday as residents enjoy an unofficial start to summer? This could be the Summer of 2018 perfect storm as city employees attempt to stay ahead of grass that already overruns many city-owned residences.
Walnut Ave. offers a combination of blight and weeds as Trenton lacks the manpower to stay ahead of a situation that will pose problems throughout the summer.
Plus, Public Works Director Merkle Cherry has no control over precipitation and as the mayoral runoff election plays out with a June 12 showdown between Paul Perez and Reed Gusciora, it’s likely Cherry will not keep his position under a new administration.
If that occurs, the next public works director must be prepared to hit the ground running, implementing a maintenance strategy that guarantees appropriate service. Healthy living spaces offer safe recreation opportunities for all aged citizens.
This certain headache about weeds and maintenance will fall on the desk of the new public works director who will need a dedicated staff and adequate game plan to control weed growth.
Maintenance matters, especially in regards to recreation opportunities. A drive through Cadwalader Park yesterday showed weeds approaching two feet in height in some areas. A soccer and baseball field near the National Junior Tennis & Learning Trenton courts needs immediate care.
Movement into the rear area of Cadwalader where a farm animal paddock once showcased ducks, geese, goats and deer, may need weeks to regain control of weed growth. Why this concern about Cadwalader Park? Because this park ranks as an integral part of the city’s revitalization.
In fact, Cadwalader Park holds such a crucial role in Trenton’s comeback that city officials should consider privatization for maintenance there from May through August. This park should serve as a main attraction for concerts, festivals, charity fundraisers, recreation and weekend activities.
Most people remember Cadwalader Park as a destination place for fun and family. A recent rummage through microfilm at the Trenton Free Public Library showed former Mayor Art Holland and his wife, Betty, photographed as they romped through Cadwalader Park with a blanket, lunch basket and baby.
Imagine, a Trenton mayor attempting such revelry in today’s political and social climate. Yes, such a change would matter as other residents realized that Cadwalader Park calls for them to leave their homes and city life for a day inside this incredible place.
Parks should serve as lifeblood for communities, much like Columbus Park in the city’s Chambersburg section where many incoming immigrants celebrate their heritages that connect with Guatemala, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Costa Rica.
Columbus Park shines like a diamond as consistent maintenance makes the park a main neighborhood attraction. Parks and trees should matter for every community in search of positive change and investments that deliver stunning human returns.
Robert Reich, an U.S. political commentator, professor, and author who served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton and served as a member of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic transition advisory board, offered this insight.
“A society- any society- is defined by as a set of mutual benefits and duties embodied most visibly in public institutions: public schools, public libraries, public transportation, public hospitals, public parks, public museums, public recreation, public universities, and so on,” he wrote.
Trenton struggles, like many other urban centers, because we close libraries, shutter schools, shut down attractions such as the Battle Monument and allow blight and weeds to tether the daily issues that connect to poverty and governmental disconnect.
With just six weeks remaining in the Mayor Eric Jackson tenure, we need city employees who work diligently right up until a new mayor arrives followed by a plan to cut grass, maintain parks and begin the extraction of blight from neighborhoods throughout Trenton.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Reach him at laparker@trentonian.com. Follow him on Twitter@ laparker6.