Hey, isn’t life wonderful? Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful….Isn’t life wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful….Isn’t everything so wonderful. Wonderful now?
This (“wonderful”) lyric by the indie rock band Everclear came to mind at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Chambers Street in early August when fate sent me out onto the street with City Councilwoman Jasi Edwards.
Edwards voiced her opinion on a disastrous PSE&G gas pipeline installation project and Mercer County’s road repaving efforts, which together have made life less than pleasant for local residents.
The councilwoman noted that Mercer County had given motorists advance notice of its project and that both works needed to be done. One point raised here was that the timing made life extremely difficult for residents, especially because the roads were closed at 7 a.m. One of Edwards’ last thoughts before she turned and walked away was, “LA, you’re so negative.”
More realistic and willing to not buy crap that is sold by the ton in this capital city. Without a commitment to education, law enforcement and inspections, Trenton faces a bleak future.
A summary of what happened in the 100 block of Franklin St. from 2 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday (54 hours).
Saturday, 2 a.m.
(Loud laughter and screams wake me up).
Glass bottles breaking can be heard on Franklin St. Others do not break and create a distinctive sound as they fly across the street. These are typical sounds associated with the Casa Blanca restaurant/bar/nightclub.
Sleep returns and Saturday is an 8am breakfast date with a friend. I step outside to find my car’s windshield shattered. My neighbor’s car, which was parked in front of mine, had a damaged windshield. The perpetrator had used a wooden rake handle (provided for East Ward garbage collection) to damage both vehicles. She had footage from her doorbell camera that showed two men involved in this incident. One man was swinging the rake and doing his damage.
Reporting the incident to the police showed that law enforcement has a hard time showing compassion to law-abiding citizens. When the police treat all residents as enemies, it is likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Had breakfast and spent most of the day outside of Trenton. The trash that was put out for the large citywide cleanup was left on the sidewalk and stayed there until Tuesday.
Sunday, 2 a.m.
A car drives into our block and two men and a woman get out. An argument ensues and a physical altercation threatens. Several men leave the house and a standoff ensues that lasts 15 minutes. The man and woman get in their car and drive away.
Sunday, 3:15 am
Lights flashed in the 100 block of Franklin Street. The sound of raised voices penetrated my upstairs bedroom window. Three Trenton Police cars were parked outside. An officer pounded on the front door of a house. All of the lights in the house remained off. The police drove away.
Sunday, 9 a.m.
Men began drinking beer on the porches of two houses on Franklin St. We spent Sunday in NYC at the India Independence Parade. After a shower and an early night, we slept well.
Monday, 6 a.m.
Screams drove me out of bed as two men, still feeling the effects of their alcoholic beverages, stood outside a car parked up the street. The driver eventually opened his car door to protect himself while he urinated. He had just finished his business when a woman strolled by.
He had urinated in front of a house owned by Dean, a long-time Franklin St. resident who was instrumental in keeping our block clean. A stream of urine ran under the car and landed on the curb.
Despite all its efforts, Franklin St. seems to be on the verge of collapse, especially without the support of Trenton officials who actually believe this city will make a great leap forward. And Chambersburg? It’s on the verge of total collapse. It’s all but over here.
Monday, 8 a.m.
A man opens the door to the basement of a house across the street. The mere fact that this house has no second exit makes its use illegal and extremely dangerous.
Plus, it’s unlikely that the rental property was inspected after the previous tenants moved out. Regardless, landlords enjoy unimaginable leeway with city authorities. We’ve reached the point where low expectations lead to no expectations.
Ms. Edwards and city officials should note that the above incidents represent a candid snapshot of the 100 block of Franklin St. There is even a photo of the man peeing and his urine stream. There is no way to frame the above events as positive.
So please don’t tell me that everything is wonderful now.
LA Parker is a columnist for the Trentonian. Find him on Twitter at @LAParker6 or by email at [email protected].
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