Residents work hard to keep the neighborhood clean and safe | News, Sports, Jobs

Linda Harris PROVIDE A SPARK – Maxanna Brooks “goes out every day, sometimes twice a day” to pick up trash in her neighborhood. Steubenville First Ward Councilor Asantewa Anyabwile said Brooks has been a spark and a positive influence for that neighborhood.

STEUBENVILLE – Ward 1 City Councilor Asantewa Anyabwile sees a correlation between a neighborhood’s appearance and the behavior of its residents.

“It helps people feel better about themselves when their environment is nice” she said. “It feels good to look out the door and see a nice, neat and clean street. “

Anyabwile, who sits on the council’s pride committee, said a year ago that she and a few volunteers made their way through the south bagging trash and dumped household debris.

“On Rosswell (Avenue) last year the whole street was a mess,” she reminded herself. “Since then, someone has moved to Rosswell who literally goes out every day and picks up paper. They have people cutting lots, dealing with lots that have been abandoned. You can feel a different energy, people. want to take care of this street. “

She credits Maxanna Brooks with being the “spark” which helped change attitudes on Rosswell Avenue.

“She goes out every day, sometimes twice a day, and as she walks around the neighborhood, she picks up the garbage”, said Anyabwile.

“She cuts lots of weeds, inspires (her) neighbors to cut lots of weeds and prunes bushes in abandoned houses. A neighbor bought a cheap batch of weeds and kept it cut, and now he has a place to park his cars on a crowded street. She was a spark for this neighborhood, (and) the energy is starting to change.

Anyabwile said most people want to have nice homes (and) clean, quiet and respectable neighborhoods, although there are always a few who for some reason don’t care.

“I walked through neighborhoods with volunteers who collect garbage, distribute garbage bags and encourage people to help” she said. “Over time, more and more people get involved and help. (But) some people think they shouldn’t have to take over others. We then have conversations about pride, being an example for young people, and even just looking outside and seeing beautiful, clean and peaceful streets. “

Anyabwile said there is so much vacant lots and abandoned land in her neighborhood that she has a habit of picking up trash within at least a block of her home. “and one of the neighbors is cutting the weeds up and down the street.”

“I see other neighbors, with a little gentle persuasion, trying to keep the facades of their houses clean,” She adds. “I know a lady who sweeps her entire neighborhood.

“I absolutely believe in the community effort in maintaining our neighborhoods, with the city doing its part in all city neighborhoods. I always say garbage will have babies: in other words, if people see garbage on the floor, they think it’s okay to throw more garbage there. People are less likely to throw garbage in a clean place.

She believes people also feel better in their neighborhood when they look neat and clean.

“People feel better when their neighborhood is nice” she said. “Then we are proud of where we live. Crime is decreasing. There is a better sense of community, of caring about what is going on in the neighborhood. “