The Thief of Hicks Street

One of those nice planters on Hicks Street that LICH placed there so recently has just been robbed of most of its flowers (Diana Garden Mums). The first picture shows the holes that the thief left. The second picture shows another planter on the same block, which the thief has not (yet ?) emptied of its flowers.

The plantings are very new and easy to scoop up. It's easy to steal the easy prey. But why would a person do a thing like this ? Is the thief the kind of person you would like as friend or neighbor, or, God forbid, as family member ?

I chatted with a LICH employee as we both inspected the damage. "Whoever did this," she said, "will not enjoy the flowers. They will not grow for him. Why ? Because cheaters never prosper." Amen.

Welcome, Baby Oak !

LICH has put a beautiful little oak tree into what only recently was an ugly pit of weeds. As Joyce Kilmer already put it, back in 1914 (well, he almost said it):

Blogs are made by fools like me

But only LICH can plant a tree

On the other hand ... a phrase I hate to need so often ... there remains the problem of debris that is not cleared up. A nice environment needs daily attention ! Here is the tree pit just next to that beautiful baby oak:

Beautification is progressing !

LICH has put a couple of planters on our block last week, so the beautification project seems to be under way. To express my appreciation, I've sent the first half of my promised $300 contribution to the LICH Corporation.

So there's light at the end of this tunnel but we're not altogether out of it yet:

a) The graffiti on the wall are still there, in all their gory.

b) As the picture shows, the planter is a big improvement over what that tree pit used to look like. But as the picture also shows very clearly, the pit around the planter obviously needs attention. The ground there looks ugly and detracts from the flowers in the planter. Perhaps some sort of ground covering would do the trick.

c) A different topic but not entirely unrelated: No matter how beautiful the flowers on the perimeter, data for what goes on inside the hospital are still inadequate. Here LICH should emulate the City's hospitals (see my posting of 9/8/07).

Dawn of a New Day ?

Here is the news I've had this morning from LICH :

1) The landscaper is coming in over the weekend to have a look.
2) Additionally, we are looking to hire a company to power-wash the graffiti off the brick face. Our corporate compliance policies dictate we solicit bids for the project rather than just award it to a vendor. Meaning that this, too, will churn through the system, but eventually get done.

Obviously we'll have to wait and see. But, in anticipation, let's just say good work, LICH.

Debris is gone, but grafitti stays

Here are some pictures, taken on Thursday, August 16, 2007, about 6:45 p.m. This is the exterior of LICH's building at 385 Hicks Street. It is a block that also has residential homeowners who try to keep their neighborhood neat and clean. As Mr. Reagan might have put it (if he had been as polite as I): Ms. Battles, madam, please, clear up that ugly facade !

IT'S ALL CLEANED UP

LICH has today cleaned up the frontage to its 385 Hicks property !! Not only was the trash and debris removed, but all those unsightly weeds have been cut down. Great job, LICH.

The next step, to which they have also agreed, is beautification, meaning well-cared-for plantings and ongoing monitoring of the site. As I have shown in a previous posting, there are some beautifully executed tree pits on Hicks just north of State. These should serve as a model of what can be done.

I had previously agreed to contribute $300 toward the cost of beautification, and I am eager to send my check. I have asked for details of the planning, perhaps sketches, and also, most important, a time table. I have asked for a completion date no later than a month from now. I hope to be able to send my check real soon.

In my preoccupation with the debris problem, I have been remiss in not mentioning the many good experiences I have had with LICH over the years. One of my grandchildren was born there; my wife had a successful operation at LICH; a number of times the LICH emergency room saved us from much grief. Thank you for all that good medical service, LICH.

Please stay tuned for the progress of the beautification program.

CARROTS FOR LICH

August 13, 2007

Ms. Rita Battles,
President, LICH

Dear Ms. Battles,

As you know, I am one of your neighbors on the 300 block of Hicks Street. I want to help you beautify the perimeter of your buildings on this block. We're in this together.

I will make a modest donation ($300, say) to help you buy plants for those unsightly tree pits if your people will provide the labor and you promise to do the maintenance on an ongoing basis.

Sorry to be so public about this little letter, but the LICH site does not furnish a contact address. Besides, this public communication may encourage others to also make donations ! I have already written to a neighbor along these lines.

Your neighbor

Werner Cohn, 391 Hicks St.

Whose Pits are These ?

Yes, these tree pits are on Hicks Street. Yes, each is but a stone's throw from LICH's main hospital building. Do they front buildings owned by LICH ?

Not !

The private owners of the buildings that these pits do front are tax payers. They do not benefit from the municipal tax exemptions of the non-profits. But their simple beauty and cleanliness, and civic spirit, could well serve as an example to certain non-profit groups.

Pit #2

I have so far only talked about the left, southern tree pit that is found in front of LICH's building at 385 Hicks Street. But there is also a Pit #2, as I call it, which is located a few feet north of Pit #1. The top picture here shows this tree pit, bereft of trees, but well supplied with weeds. What kind of weeds ? Several different kinds, not including, I sincerely hope, rag weed.

Now the lower picture here is what you see if you look through the weeds from above, directly to the ground. At this level there is a nice assortment of debris, bottles, papers, you name it.

Both pictures were taken today, 8/12/07.

The Pit, 8/12/07

The top picture shows the situation a day later. Not much has changed. The bottom picture gives a closeup of one part of the this pit, as of today.

The Tree Pit - 8/11/07

LICH owns a building at 385 Hicks Street. In front of this building there are two tree pits. The left one has a tree, some weeds, and a lot of debris. The right one has just weeds and debris. I am watching the left one. This picture above was taken on 8/11/07, at 6 p.m.