Thanks Prevention...I am a man and my house and property are a direct reflection on what kind of person I am...as inflation comes back, simple pleasures in your yard, neighborhood, neighborhood parks will become more common. C'mon people! Take your neighborhoods back from the people who don't care...no matter their age, sex, color, or religion.

onelife2live: you rock! I am used to knowing my neighbors; picking up their dogs if they've run away and bring them to my house, with them not worrying; knowing who doesn't belong; all the things I grew up with in the 80s, 90s and today. Yes, I am in Generation X, so there IS hope. Now I know someone's watching out in my nieghborhood with me! Thank you!

I do not live in the 4th Ward, but on S. Chatham. My grandpa lived here forever and I want to keep the neighborhood nice and crime free. I have a neighborhood watch sign in my yard and am very proactive in anything that is not right. I ask strangers their name and call the police on inapproriate behavior, and maintain my yard and house. I appreciate anyone taht does that as well. Please do not hide behind your mini-blinds people.

I bought my first house on land contract when I was 22 yrs. old; it was near 4th Ward
I believe what is now the Look West Neighborhood).
It was an upper/lower. I lived in the upper and rented out the lower. (My tenants stayed on an average of 4 years.)

It was a beautiful Queen Anne style home that I spent many years remodeling (both units; as time permitted and as I could afford).

I knew all my neighbors (most had lived there as long as I had - or longer); I was very proud of my home. I had thought that I would live in that home for a very long time.

After 15 years; changes in the neighborhood convinced me to move; specifically, the code violations that were permitted by the Code Dept. and the neglect by both landlords and parents.
(I do know that the JPD does maintain a presence in the neighborhood and I do appreciate their efforts !)

I will say that I am not "one of those people" who constantly look to complain or call the city for every little thing.

BUT .... I witnessed NUMEROUS and very serious (scary) code violations in my neighborhood such as:

Extension cords (3 or 4 plugged in together) running from the 2nd floor apartment down the house and out to the garage;

Tenants pouring oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid into the yard;

Dogs barking and tied up on a chain so short, it was sad;

Children that would knock on my door and tell me their mother locked them out of the house because "she stayed up drinking vodka all nite" and ask for money or something to drink....or just looking for someone to be nice (yes..I felt sorry and gave them a couple bucks to go to the gas station down the street. I would let them play in my yard, but never let them inside).

At times, I would call the code dept. and sometimes social services...nothing was EVER done.

Eventually I felt .....well.....just worn out .. and I decided to move.
I now live on the West side.

I wish the City would take the landlord and/or tenant violations and complaints more seriously.
There are some wonderful qualities in the 4th Ward, Look West and Downtown neighborhoods.
I will miss my FIRST home.

One thing wil I miss about my old neighborhood is my 12 mile bike ride.
I would start at my house, ride to Wilson School / Monterey Park, around the river, under the bridge, past the old Panoramic building, down Rockport, past Wolf's Den, left on Afton, down to the Water Plant and home......12 Miles....it was GREAT.
I still haven't figured out WHERE on the West side to ride.

Ok, so if you are still reading this…KUDOS !
Just how long are we allowed to…..go on ….and on ….and on ….and on…… ??????

The next meeting of the Neighborhood Action Team is tomorrow night at 6pm in City Council Chambers at City Hall. Immediately following is a steering committee meeting for the Central City Neighborhood Plan.

Beth, I agree with turkeyman! Way to go in getting us worked up about this. I hope it leads to something good coming out of it, like more people wanting to help us!

Maybe Janesville could expand on the idea of community service. The people who get in trouble often find themselves in front of a judge. Get them involved in activities around town, maybe where they live. Show them how their effort is helping others in the community. After their commitment is over make it clear to them that they're still needed to help, because the job's not done. They would need to work side by side with others that aren't court ordered to do it, but do it because they want to. Make them believe Janesville is a better place because of them.

prevention, I suggest those with an interest in the neighborhood attend the next NAT meeting. I don't have that on my calendar, though, so someone who knows should add that.
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I do urge everyone to review the city's comprehensive plan and especially the draft for Look West and Fourth Ward to know what has been discussed and what resources may be available in future.
http://www.ci.janesville.wi.us/compplan/...
http://www.ci.janesville.wi.us/compplan/...
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If anyone would like to start a focused volunteer group, be my guest, but whatever you do I suggest it should have a strong community-building component. Invite as many people as possible and get people introduced to one another. That's one key way you make a neighborhood better.
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Some of my ideas, which I'm happy to give away:
* Friends of Monterey Park, which could involve not only Fourth Warders, but also fishermen and sports field users. Someone should look after the Big Rock, too.
* Friends of Rock River, to oversee its entire recreational and environmental needs citywide (fishermen, boaters, water-skiers, etc.)
* Bike/pedestrian safety programs (people today have forgotten that bikes ride to the RIGHT and people walk to the LEFT -- even mothers walking their strollers in the street (!) -- so driving is sometimes less a matter of courtesy and more of confrontation)
* Dog owner education -- the people who walk their dogs (instead of tying them up outside the back door) AND who carry baggies can be counted on one hand
* More family events in Fourth Ward Park
* Summer basketball tournaments to give the teenagers a supervised activity
* Volunteer tree trimming over sidewalks for visibility (not to mention eye safety)
* Historic architecture walks to point out the older buildings that are or could still be made into good shape, and educate owners about appropriate rehab/restoration options (at least asphalt shingles and 12" aluminum siding have seen their day, but many people don't know what kind of doors or windows match their home)
* Some kind of landlord/tenant alliance would be helpful. Clearinghouse for information, as well as a roundtable for concerns. Something like this might be more attractive to the mom & pop landlords vs. the JARPA. It could hook into things the city might do such as a landlord contact directory and serve as a source of tenant referrals, among other benefits.
* Graffiti watch, to cover it up as soon as it appears using donated paint or persuade property owners and tenants to do it (Crotty Appliance on Academy, I'm looking at you)
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Obviously I have many more ideas than time, so I'm happy to throw these out there. There are probably things that would mesh with the Gazette's focus on poverty, but I would defer to ECHO, the YWCA and Community Action on specific needs (in any case, all can use volunteers).

Thank you, Beth, for pointing it out that we have got to keep working together on this! Not saying to avoid it.

janesvillean: Thank you for your insightful post. What do you think? We get together and start planning something with Beth? Does that sound like a good plan? I am game for it!

more info http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/1...

it seems cleaning up the neighbor hood CAN be done!!

i havent read up on cabrini lately seems most of it is rebuilt now.sorry off topic was interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini-Gre...

i have noticed that about cabrini (village) green to. it has gone very down hill since the 80's. that used to, I believe, have a waiting list to get in there becuae it WAS so nice.

hey maybe theyll do a movie on site there for scary movie like candy man, candy man, candy man,candy man, candy man- got a mirror???

I wouldn't walk at night out by Village Green either. The apartments on Laramie Lane have turned into slums also. Ripped out screens, broken windows, lots of dogs running around etc.. The police are always there too. That USED to be a nice side of town, now that area is deteriorating as well. For months there was a peeping Tom running aound, break ins, car vandals. I used to love Janesville, now I'm glad I don't live there anymore. It's either that situation or the other half that is "so rich and snotty" there doesn't seem to be much in between anymore.

yes beth - ithought i did- pick up their own trash and tiddy their own lawns that would be a good start. No tax payer money here to do so either. maybe a few gallons of paint

I live close enough to the Merrill Neighborhood to feel the effects of a poverty and crime stricken area. The problems lie in 2 major areas. Police with neighborhood patrols and the lack of holding landlords accountable for who lives in their property as well as the condition of their property. The neighborhood patrols seem lack luster at best. There is drug activity in this neighborhood every day and night and it seems as if very little is done to prevent it. Also, lets face it, if slum lords were held accountable for what happens on their properties, we would likely not be facing as much of an issue. If they actually screened who was living in their property for drug and crime activity, the issue would be less than it is. But wait, landlords and slum lords alike do not have the ability, by law, to deny occupancy based on criminal record. Nevermind, it won't work.

Well, I grew up in the Fourth Ward, and I live there again now. It is very true that the neighborhood has problems. I personally believe we may have seen the back of much of the drug and gang activity that really reached plague levels around 2003-2004. I know that there were weekends where I called 911 more than once a night (and I have stories that would curl your ears). This year, I have called the police only a few times period, and only once was there a really troubling incident (domestic violence in public).
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The reasons are probably many, but one of them is definitely the fact that the neighborhood still has a critical mass of people willing to act as a community. That means not just going to meetings, but working on the large-item pick-up and calling the cops and talking to neighbors and calling the city code department and holding landlords accountable and evicting tenants who are problems. Undoubtedly there is still work to do and we will always be one of the cheaper rental neighborhoods, but I am feeling confident at this point that the attention of the police and city policymakers, in the form of the nuisance ordinance and the comprehensive plan, means that we won't have to put up with constant problems ever again.
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The name has always been "the fourth ward". It dates from an era when we had an aldermanic system and the wards meant something. Today it's just a number and I don't think the residents of the "new" Ward 4 really think of themselves as a community or use that name in the same way. If necessary use "old" or "historic", but it is just a name. For us, it is an identity.
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Safety is a concern but I wouldn't consider jogging during the daytime or driving through to be something to avoid. Walking alone at night, unless you have a linebacker build like me, might be something to reconsider, unless you have a good idea where the trouble spots are.
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That's the takeaway for me, though. We really have isolated it to a few trouble spots. It's still a great neighborhood to live in, especially if you like old houses, and I have to say a number of them are on the market right now. If we can get some multi-family buildings converted back to single family homes, that will always help.

Ok, I'm reading numerous comments saying that part of town is terrible. What can we do to change that? Anyone have constructive ideas other than just avoiding the area? If you have no other incentive, think about all the families from other areas of Janesville who travel to Monterey Stadium for football games and other events.

I would never feel proud about living in the Janesville hood. I agree with the other guy who said he wouldn't drive though there.

I am in my mid 30's and have lived in the fourth ward twice in my life. Beleive me, that was enough!! I wouldnt even DRIVE through there anymore! Dont forget fourth ward? How about,LET'S DO!

Beth, Way to go! You got people fired up on this blog without even mentioning GM, the Janesville PD, the City Council, Steve Sheiffer. the School Board or Screamin' MeeMees. Glad to see your not a one trick pony.

true on the neighbor hood thing- but that doesnt mean it cant or shouldnt improve and just be decent. all the crap laying around just pick it up and i am not talking about the stuff they dont get rid of"because they dont have a truck" I am talking about plain old trash. just put it to the curb!! mow your yard!! pull some weeds and make it look like you care a bit.

coast2coast, that was what I was inferring about the 4th ward, regardless of who does what and where. Thank you for pointing that as well.

The 4th ward loks like a sancuary compared to some of the neighborhoods I use to see around Detroit and Chicago. Makes me laugh being in cities like this what people consider a bad neighborhood.

Yes, even if B'moon is ever right about anything (which would only be by accident), she has no credibility because of her chronic delusions and outright lies. She harms the image of the Fourth Ward. She wants everyone to believe that everyone there thinks like she does. Not good, not good.

okay prevention- ms briarmoon IS a bit over the top. did you forget the carriage barn incendent and charging the police and arrested. I am sorry If you just would have fixed the barn in the first place there would be no "DRAMA" oh but i think she likes drama.
And the issue with "not knowing my rental didnt need a second exit I thought it was grandfathered" is crap!! She is in realestate and has rental properties- if youre going to rent know the rules. I think they said ignorance of the law is no excuse. Did she think all those old homes with the sometimes UGLY and weirdly placed back stairs were just for fun!!!

ihavealife- alot of them maybe cant be converted anymore. but there are alot that still are converted from long ago. I am sure it is okay to go in and convert them back. Soem of them were converted LONG LONG ago. I know someone in that area that bought a house and converted back BUT it was converted in early 1900's because they build the home and husband passed away. she didnt want to leave so they closed off some of it slopply and had a renatal upstairs. It was interesting to learn some of that went on LONG LONG LONG ago. So some of them just may remain from that. I am near their and yes some are hard to tell rentals but others I would guess are. Some tenant respect the propertt even though they just rent and some dont- same for homeowner though. so upkeep and some dont. goes both ways. There are some parts of 4th ward that do SEEM scary to pass threw but you can say that about any areas around all over janesville. Am as far as crime- sorry- it is ALL over.

Oh wait, because I am not a native to Janesville, that means I am out of touch too. I suppose that my views are eccentric and radical too because I have seen real eccentric and radical outside of Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin.

Again, I am not a native, so y'all can rip me apart for that as well. Thank you.

Hmmm, it seems like people are a little hard on someone that is willing to remain eccentric and strong in revitalizing the neighborhood of the infamous "historic 4th Ward."

As I have stated numerous times to people, not just here, I am proud to live in the 4th Ward.

As it was stated somewhere in here, Ms. B'moon is your problem. She is eccentric, yes, but not completely off her rocker. If you look (with a clear, open mind) at some of the things she tries to accomplish, it really is not that off-base or "radical."

Sorry, ihavealife...got the name "tags" mixed up.

proartist- youre welcome- i love doing it.
126 bags of insulation on the way!! WOW!!! green friendly and VERY efficient not like Fiberglass. and once and its done!! anyone can email me if you want more info.

ihavealife- if you look there plug in name different ways and youll get ALL the results

proartist...What are you yelling at me for ??I'm the one that said there were alot of rentals in that area."opinionsforfree "said they can't be converted to rentals ! So did I miss something here or are you confused ? Also I will say again some of the houses that have been redone look amazing !!!

ihavealife: A LOT of Courthouse Hill properties have changed to rentals in the past 2 decades - including some to group homes. That's why in recent years many area employers took the Courthouse Hill neighborhood off their lists of best areas in Janesville for prospective and new employees to buy a house. Anyone paying attention also knows some (NOT all) of those same properties are declining and that's where police and emergency vehicles can often be seen. KUDOS and THANKS to ALL the residents of ALL Janesville who work so hard to keep their properties maintained in spite of increasing costs, authentically restore historic properties, and monitor their neighborhoods to keep them safe for the benefit of the entire community!

Beth, I was at that meeting. All I have seen so far is allot of talk and no action. ihavealife If there are rentals on court house hill I can't tell. Maybe cause there isn't trash in the yards along with the houses being kept up is the reason why.

tipi16--Good point. Also, it's sometimes referred to as the Historic Fourth Ward. And if we're getting technical, I'm a WCLO reporter who posts on the Off the Clock blog on the Gazette site, so your comment about the Gazette isn't entirely accurate.

I was originally going to include this link on the blog, but the blog was getting long. It explains issues the Central City Neighbohood Plan addresses.
http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2008/aug...

FYI...a majority of Janesville's registered sex offenders are located in the 4th ward. I dont think, as a parent, no matter how clean you get the ward knowing that stat alone will baracade anyone from the area.

But with that said, I agree that to make a better living environment it starts with a TLC.

why cant we get large item pick up elsewhere in the city? the rest of us have large items that we can not always get to the dump

good story beth. but after watching part of the RNC this week i gotta ask why youd wanna be a 'community organizer'?? according to the RNC it prepares you for nothing...other than ridicule:)

I think part of the problem is that bad housing is associated with bad people, which isn’t true. I’ve never had problems while in the 4th ward and the people are always friendly. However, some of the housing in that area is beyond repair. It is to the point of a massive waste of money to fix some of the houses in that area, because the foundations are crumbling, the houses are inefficient, and electrical systems are dated. As a result, it would require too much money to update some of these homes (not all of them, some are well maintained and have been kept current). The key would be for the city to buy some of these homes and destroy them, which would open up the land in the area. However, the other key is to replace these homes with more affordable housing and not 150,000 dollar ranches. I’ve lived here fourteen years and that area looks worse now than it did fourteen years ago. Obviously something isn’t working.

opinion4free....I can think of alot of rentals in that area ??

gazettefan....Nothing new ,still the same on ccap.I still can't figure out why no address was printed in the paper ??

ihavealife, do you have any more info on that?

The court house area hill area has very few rental properties. Plus!!!!! The houses in that area can not be converted into rentals.

Hey it should read "The Old Fourth Ward" The ward numbers changed a few years ago! The Fourth Ward is now around the intersection of Mt. Zion and Milton Ave. and we vote at Jefferson School. I thought at least the Gazette would get it right, but then we are talking about the Gazette

gazettefan..Could be true! Is that what's called guilt by association ? If so she may be moving soon,problem solved.

It harms the image of the Fourth Ward for B'moon to claim that the administration has declared war on it. She is high profile and the people who share her folie a menage are a cancer on the neighborhood.

Don't give up on the Fourth Ward ?? I don't live in the 4th ward,but what I find interesting is others that don't live there how they seem to think they know what it's all about.Why in this town do people think one side is better than the other ? Or that their neighborhood is any better ? I will admit I have not made it tops on my list to drive threw on a regular bases ,but from what I have seen is people/families just trying to make it.The 4th ward does have some beautiful old homes that I would live in.I can also remember some houses in the Court st hill area not so long ago that were really bad, now look at them.The area by the hospital(not sure what it's called)has a higher crime rate then the 4th ward,some of those houses should be razed in my opinion.I don't understand why the 4th ward always gets dumped on,look around in your neighborhood and I'm sure you to will see homes that need repair also !!!

How about pumping some money into the neighborhood? Most the houses down there are in dire need of repair. Or... try enforcing the codes that are in place. Another idea is to have the city buy a few rental properties in the area convert them to single family homes then sell them back to a single family

Really amazing the bad image the 4th ward has got over the years. It's like everyone in the city thinks of it as the total cesspool of the city. When I use to run a lot, I would often run through the 4th ward, and everyone I'd tell that to would ask me if I was out of my freaking mind? I'd always respond by saying; as long as no one is shooting at me, they will have to catch me 1st! I really do think they have got a bad rap though. People I have met from there all seemed very normal, and decent. Its one of those things that once you get that reputation in people's mind, its often really hard to break it.

Great article, Beth! I live in the Fourth Ward, BY CHOICE! It really is not as bad as people talk about it as being. I have always grown up and lived in neighborhoods that were the contrast to Jville's Fourth Ward, so it was an adjustment at first. The adjustment is worth it. I am proud to live in the Fourth Ward of Jville!

Nice story. I spent several grade school years living in the Fourth Ward and attending Wilson School. Most all of my fond memories of growing up and going to school come from those days. We had like 30 grade school age kids on our block alone. We all knew each other, played with each other and addressed each other's parents as Mr. or Mrs. I think only one family was a single parent home. A lot different than today. I saw the gardens this summer. They are on a lot that a friend used to live on, the house now gone. Glad to see only a bunny has ever harmed them. I saw a lot of pride in them. I still see and hear about a lot of pride from those who live there. I've traveled through a lot of the area on my bike, never ran into anyone I felt threatened by. Mostly very friendly people, waving from their porches.