“This is Our Backyard”

Barbara Howard’s apartment building is an island in a sea of cement. 

Without yards or nearby parks, Howard’s grandchildren have to play on the sidewalk along Anson Street. 

The neighbors hang out on the front steps of their buildings, play football in the street.

So the idea of a curfew in the neighborhood is laughable to Howard and several other residents interviewed Tuesday. 

While other residents can still hang out in their yards if there was a curfew instituted, people living in the area of Anson Street don’t have that option, the residents said.

Who wants to sit in the hot house?” Howard asked. I will be the first one they arrest because I’m not going in that hot house all night.”

The question arose Tuesday morning, when a city Alderman floated the curfew suggestion along with other proposals to try to stop violence in the neighborhood. Read a story about their ideas here.

Since mid-May, two shootings and one stabbing have taken place on a short stretch of nearby Hawkins Street.

A 17-year-old woman was shot in the hip by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting early Sunday. 

And on May 19, a man was stabbed several times in a fight in an alley between two apartments on Hawkins Street, near the intersection of Cottage Street.

Later that night, somebody returned to the apartments and sprayed bullets in the area of the fight. 

It’s not us’

Residents on Anson Street said they were afraid of the recent violence, but resented being associated with it. 

We live here,” said one woman, who declined to give her name. The shooting didn’t happen here.”

Another woman said she would not want to be told when to be inside her own home.

I don’t own no gun,” said the woman, who also would not give her name. It’s not us causing the problems.”

Several residents strongly objected to the idea of a curfew.

They don’t need a curfew,” a third woman said. They need stuff for these kids to do.”

A Park

Howard pointed across the street, to a small patch of grass in between apartment buildings. 

Photo: Jodie MozdzerIt used to be the neighborhood park, almost a decade ago. 

The residents planted flowers there, the city provided a fence. There were benches, and neighbors had cook-outs and tag sales there, Howard said.

But several years ago the city stopped allowing people to congregate there, Howard said, after a nearby landlord complained of noise.

This is our grass,” Howard said pointing to the cement in front of and behind her apartment building on Anson Street. What do you want us to do?”

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