Money where your Mouth Is- Part One

I can’t believe I have lived in this old house for over 40 years . I was young , full of hope and dreams when we came to see this old house during a dark winter evening.

Kinks- Past – hyphenated- Lorain- Loraine Pt 5

And now- we are the residents who have lived here the longest.
I strongly believe we have paid our dues over the years – remaining here on 4th Street!

We have seen the trials and tribulations of this block- lived through the motor cycle gangs, the drug dealers, any number of domestic violence calls – drug arrests – hmm and those were just in the one house!

We had the arsonists, the chop shop , the “family” burglars, a family gang ( that was just one family).

We have, along the alley way that connects Hamilton and Oberlin Ave, 4th and 5th streets, people shooting themselves and at each other ,drug deals , petty robberies and some not so petty , one tried for murder and condemned to death http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/filiaggi1071.htm one house being blown sky high ( as I drove past ) which was terrifying!
That wasn’t the first house either ( sigh) .

Source http://kindercraze.com/uck-word-family-reading-response-and/
THEN there was the semi truck driver ( parked his truck and trailer on the street) whilst the 18 relatives lived in the three bedroom home. He built on the rear sunroom with a hot tub, this became the menagerie for caged snakes, tropical fish and the hot tub a duck pond.

The ducks routinely escaped, probably wanting to visit the chickens and much running around screaming at the ducks would occur. When the overflow from the house became too much large tents were put in the front yard. Eventually the home was foreclosed upon – “once again”- and a pattern that was followed at least twice more.

There are a lot more stories on the 4th street block – too many- looking back I wonder why we stayed -Oh that is right! I loved this house and the friends we made and now it is my “sanctuary”.

Over the years the decorating and landscaping for this old house was arranged around blocking views from her windows to the outside lifestyles.

and living from the inside out as other peoples lifestyles intruded into our home.

Welcome to Fairyland – aka In the Pink Lorain, Ohio

Luckily , not all was doom and gloom we also had some great neighbors who kept up their properties throughout the years and so we didn’t give up the ship!
http://www.loraincounty.com/charlestonlorai/

I have changed however, turned from one full of dreams and hope to an “old” curmudgeon , cynical and getting through what life is left to me. I have learned you can’t legislate respect for others. To be honest I have just wanted to pull my shrubs up around me and disappear from life in Lorain . I am tired and overwhelmed with grief.

One thing that has NOT changed is my philosophy of putting my money ( or time and effort) where my mouth is and following through on what I said I would do . It was something I always taught my children and yes especially my son and he used the concept in his adverting concept – ironically he used a RED DUMP TRUCK in the ad!:

ad concept Chris Ritchey

“Money where your mouth is “- Chris Ritchey

The lot next door-1125- was always a problem from the very first. On this lot was a little brown house ( probably an in- law home at one time) as it was on the same lot along with a larger home. That larger house, a few days after we moved in, was in the process of having her wrap around porch demoed and downstairs windows on the west side covered over and a picture window added to the front – well it was the late 70″s after all. However, what once looked very similar to this

became a big blue box- nothing architecturally pleasing or even a remembrance left of what she once was. Then the house was foreclosed!

After two or was it three landlord/ purchases and a myriad of tenants – one entrepreneur had the lot split.

The little brown house had various occupants and owners and each chapter in its history found a deteriorating progression both of house and just who would rent it .

In the end we had mother nature taking care of the problem .

Eventually a new situation with the “less than loved” happened, one that totally blind sided us – who would have thought it would become a drive through ? The little brown house ( once on the architectural register ) had to be demolished and it became the City of Lorain’s property – at least I knew the grass would be cut and it was . BUT then it became the “through way” for those using the alley as a cut through not being bothered to go to the alley end- just drive through to 4th street using “highway” 1125. It also became a parking lot!

Time and time again I watched as cars and trucks made the property their own personal driveway and over flow parking lot for residents, visitors, boats and construction businesses parking.
This traffic flowed without any thought to the newly poured concrete sidewalks etc. they routinely ran over.

I have to admit this situation of having boats and ski-doos parked on the front lawn of did annoy ( although the shrubs thank goodness hid a lot of eyesores) .

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I was woken many morning with the backing up of a dump truck and its high pitched warning beep beep! beep beep! Watching cars going by under the den window or the antics of those trying to make the turns with the long trailers ( funny as it was to watch) was not amusing in the long run because this situation was not a one off. It was happening almost every day!

I blessed the shrubs and trees on 1125, they stopped traffic from becoming two-way . Over grown they may have been but their greenery was preferable to the alternative

The extremely large tree blocked the “sight lines” of the property next door –

removing me from the sight of garbage cans left to overflow on the front porch next door until it would eventually blow into my front yard.

Then we had to come to a decision ….

To be continued….