A poll came out declaring Yonkers the 10th Dirtiest City in America. The poll was done by Lawnstarter, a company the provides lawn care services at the click of button across the country. My first issue. A lawn company rating dirtiest cities? Seems strange.
The company compared living conditions, pollution, infrastructure and consumer satisfaction and Yonkers failed miserably.
In my opinion why did Yonkers do so bad? Blame it on the citizenry and those who pass through the city, not our public works department. See those cans, wrappers and other debris along the side of the road. They didn’t just appear there. Someone had to dump
that garbage out of their cars. Toss enough out, it gets caught in the brush and you have a mess. See a sidewalk like Elm Street? The garbage didn’t just arrive on the street. People drop it off when they are walking, or instead of putting it in trash containers drop it in the street.
Look at the turn around at Rumsey road. The sides are filled to the brim with all types of garbage. It just doesn’t get there. It’s put out of cars passing on the street who throw it out their windows.
See the street sweepers. The garbage they are picking up was tossed by passing motorists. You can go down Elm Street every night and you will see food wrappers, cups, empty potato chip bags and during the summer icee wrappers.
The question is why are some streets garbage laden and some streets clear. Do people in some neighborhoods care for the way their streets Look versus others who don’t care?
Lawnstarter’s comparison and poll was done during the winter and includes pollution, living conditions, infrastructure and consumer satisfaction. With all the trucks traveling Yonkers streets the exhaust certainly kicks up a lot of pollution during the winter. Living conditions in many apartment buildings leave a lot to be desired.
Ride Yonkers streets any day of the week and you will have a good chance of getting a flat tire or damage to your car proving infrastructure issues. Sidewalks are in bad shape. Streets need major repaving. Unfortunately, repaving of streets has not been a major priority in Yonkers and as the weather expands and contracts based on the temperature many holes are caused in the pavement.
I’m a little surprised by consumer satisfaction. If you narrowed it to
the schools, even though they have made great strides over the last 10 years there is still the thought that if you live in Yonkers you have to send your child to parochial or private school. With the large choice of schools in Yonkers if a child wants a good education he or she can get a good one with a little bit of work and persistence. It’s like anything else. A good teacher supported by parents and the child will learn.
Good, clean cities have a base of people who care about their city and all the elements in the study. Dirty cities are not a public works problem but a problem if those who live in them don’t work to keep them clean!
Parking Costs at Area Hospitals
I had to bring a friend for a test to St. John’s Hospital this week. In the past Parking was $5 and if you were having a procedure done you got your parking comped. The new rate is $7 for 3 hours and if you are having a procedure $5 of that is comped.
These procedures people have done at hospitals cost thousands of dollars. In most cases insurance is paying. I had a procedure several weeks ago at a fancy schmancy New York hospital. The test was $25,000 according to my insurance and there was no discount for parking. Between copays and deductibles and the other fee associated with the test, the hospitals are doing very well financially. Though the St. John’s fee is not crazy high, would it really hurt the hospital if they gave me free parking instead of charging me $2.
And they would have one happy camper if they didn’t charge a fee. What’s more important, free parking or annoying the patient for $2? Medical institutions trying to draw customer are going to have to ponder this issue with the competition among hospitals for patients becoming more fierce every day!
Take Off That Mask
So it’s no longer mandatory to wear a mask in a doctor’s office or hospital or medical facility? If I were you would I wear a mask in a crowded waiting room, doctor’s office, the Emergency Room or a crowded department store like I witnessed at the new Burlington the other day. On an airplane or theater surrounded by people I don’t know. For the time being it is probably a good habit to keep.
You should be aware that if the medical facility has a mask policy you must follow it, like it or not. As of my visit to St. John’s Hospital they were still requiring masks on Monday. Bottom line: don’t fight the Security Guard who demands you mask up.
Briefs: Very Happy 96th Birthday to my second father and dear family friend, Adelmo (Chubby) Costantini. And here’s to 96 more years surrounded by a beautiful family and friends.
Can someone help me get off these lists offering a Hilton Hotel Room or Carnival Cruise if I qualify? I’ve tried all the government sponsored programs and am furious getting these cold calls sometimes 2 in 1 hour!
Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
