Residents living in one South Side community said they are dealing with a rodent problem prompted by illegal trash dumping.
Residents living in one South Side community said they are dealing with a rodent problem prompted by illegal trash dumping. Elizabeth Cooper has lived at 7033 S. Parnell Ave. in the Englewood community with her husband Albert for 52 years and said she is afraid to come out at night. “I have seen rats run around here in my backyard. This has been an ongoing problem since June and it is getting worse,” said Cooper, 86. “I tried calling the alderman but have not been able to reach anyone.” Another resident, Barbara Davis, who lives at 7035 S. Parnell, said she had to buy a cat to keep rats from running through her backyard and coming into her home. “I have seen mice inside my house and if the little ones are starting to come in then I know their parents can’t be too far behind,” she said. “I have seen men in trucks drive through the alley to dump tires and other trash. I can see them from my front window.” Trash pickup for the 7000 block of South Parnell is every Wednesday but within a week not only is the trash twice as much but twice as bad, said Ruthie Shivers, 80, who lives at 7041 S. Parnell. “It’s bad because kids come back here playing and are unaware of the dangers that lurk in this alley,” she said. The block contains several vacant lots and boarded up homes and the alley not only contains overflow trash cans but also a mountain of tires and chopped up tree trunks swarming with flies. Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, whose 6th Ward includes portions of Englewood, said she previously spoke to residents living in the 7000 block of South Parnell about the situation and informed the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation to look into the matter. “I had previously spoke with the Streets and Sanitation superintendent for my ward about this matter but I did not know the situation had not been cleared up (in regards to the items illegally dumped),” Lyle told the Defender. “I do know that the city baited the alleys this summer to help combat the problem but it appears that more illegal dumping has since taken place and we are working on a long-term solution to prevent further illegal dumping.” Lyle added that she spoke to Thomas Byrne, commissioner for the Streets and Sanitation Department, on Tuesday and he assured her that the items illegally dumped, such as tires, would be cleared away by Wednesday. “I hate that it sometime takes the media to start inquiring before something is actually done but hey what can I say, it is what it is,” Lyle said. In the alley there were warning signs stamped to light poles from the city informing the public about the rodent problem and it listed a June date as the last time the area was baited for rodents. City workers will hand out informational pamphlets to residents Wednesday letting them know what causes rodent problems and how to prevent them. Matt Smith, a spokesman for the Department of Streets and Sanitation, said city workers baited the area Tuesday for rodents. “Our Bureau of Rodent Control has been out in that area on Parnell repeatedly since April to bait and do follow-ups,” Smith said. “We were out earlier Tuesday to bait the nearby 7200 block of South Parnell at the request of Alderman Freddrenna Lyle’s office and will be focusing on the 7000 and 7100 blocks throughout the week.” However, Smith added that everyone has a part to play in fighting rodents, including residents. “We find that most problems that residents have with rats in any part of the city are usually caused by man-made problems and are fully preventable. Once rats have a steady food source they look for places to nest,” explained Smith. “We can bait every day but rats will not eat the bait if it is competing with the numerous other sources of food in the area, such as uncontained garbage, dog feces, pet food (including bird seed), and fruits and vegetables in backyard gardens. When you have that combination you’re likely to have rat problems.” But beside rats infesting the block Shivers said the illegal dumping site in the alley is breeding crime. “I have seen prostitutes and drug dealers bring their customers back here (in the alley) and when I do see this I call the police,” she said. “My property value on my home has fallen dramatically because this problem has made this block less desirable for development.” And while Wilson Jones, who lives at 7046 S. Parnell, may be happy to hear the city attempting to rectify the problem he questions why it took so long. “I myself have been calling for at least six months. How long does it take to get a truck out to clean up the garbage? How long does it take when there is an obvious problem to come and bait for rats?” he questioned. Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender (Defender/Dominic Brown)
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