Biggs, Julian Glascock, Baylis

Description

A number of black men sit around a large round table and invite a Mr. Paticki (sp?), the Director of Public Works. to join them in a conversation about garbage collection. Mr. Paticki explains that his understanding is that the reason for his attendance at the meeting is to get first-hand knowledge of what the problem is. He states that he believed the request was to get a second garbage collection and suggested an educational program to better use the boxes that they’ve offered for trash but wanted to hear from the group about what they thought might work. A man at the head of the table wearing overalls talks about the challenges with the current system for garbage and suggests an alternative to the current containers that might be able to hold more garbage. He talks about the challenges that tenants have regarding customary ways of doing things, such as using children to bring down the garbage. He proposes larger containers near the incinerator to eliminate rats as they are the biggest issue with the way the trash is set up now. Another man talks about the fact that the hired custodians and plumbers in the housing project lack expertise.. Another man brings up his experience of living in a 90% rat-free housing project in Rice Heights. The gentleman explains that you cannot compare the projects because the tearing down of 200 buildings in the Wooster, Bellevue, and Sanford Street area resulted in 5,000 displaced renterss coming to Bellevue...

Record Contributed By

Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library

Record Harvested From

Connecticut Digital Archive