A big thank you to everyone who showed up, cleaned, organized and supported our ninth annual neighborhood Trash Bash*. Around fifty people volunteered and picked, shoveled, and bashed their way through piles of trash from our streets filling the entire back of a City public works truck. Cigarette butts, broken bottles, weeds, litter, even parking tickets were among those items removed during the process. Afterwards Steve Sacks fired up the grill and helped us to burgers, and Polish sausages donated by his company Prime Smoked Mats. Chips, snacks and sides to go with them were donated by Word Ground Cafe and Sierra Deli.

Among the many volunteers was a strong contingent from Covenant House who worked hard with us and joined the BBQ afterwards - thanks guys! After the BBQ JLDA President Ben Delaney presented awards in recognition of service to the Jack London District community to Steve Sacks, Joanna Adler and Karl Augenstein.

We would particularly like to thank Winnie Anderson and her husband Paul for organizing the event this year, Gary Knecht for the use of his space at The Egghouse, Steve in his sixth year as BBQ Masterchef, Bernice for the use of her pickup, and all our donors and other volunteers who made the day possible and a great success. Thank you!

Some photos from the event are available at jlda.org/trashbash/trashbash9 and there will also be a write up in the May edition of JLDA Call - out soon!

* Just in case you are wondering what happened to Trash Bash 10 - well there was a little confusion about how many there had been before, yes we've had so many now we are losing count. But rest assured this is the ninth and next year will be the tenth. The good news is we'll be able to use those poster all over again!

Labels: announcements, frontpage, trashbash

SUNDAY, APRIL 27th Annual Neighborhood Clean-up Day

Join us on Sunday,April 27th from 9am-Noon at The Egghouse, 229 Harrison (at 3rd St) to help clean up our neighborhood. Also, come and drop-off your computers, small electronic devices and batteries for E-Recycling.

Even if you can't make the clean up why not join us for the free Neighborhood BBQ after the cleanup starting at 1:00pm. The BBQ is for all (vegetarian option available).

Please RSVP by email to trashbash@jlda.org or by calling Winnie at (510) 375-9035. A flier for this event is available for download, if you would like to print it and post it in your building or place of work please get it here.

Labels: trashbash

The Jack London District "trash bash" was started in 1999 and was organized by the predecessor to JLDA, the Jack London Neighborhood Association. Two more annual cleanups followed leading to Trash Bash III in July 2001 which was the first cleanup attended by Joanna Adler and Simon Waddington. Trash Bash III had the lowest turn out on record but managed a massive pile of around 100 cubic yards of trash that took the City hours to haul away.

As Wilda White's JLNA organization fizzled neighborhood events pretty much ceased and hence there was no clean up in 2002. But in 2003 Joanna Adler decided to reinstate this neighborhood tradition, especially since two years of construction had brought new people and new trash to the neighborhood.

So Joanna organized Trash Bash IV which was held in September 2003 and attracted 39 people to help with the clean up, a record for the event. This was also the first trash bash to include a BBQ hosted by Steve Sacks of Prime Smoked Meats who has been cooking up a storm at every clean up since.

Trash Bash V followed quickly on its heels being held in May 2004, and then the first trash bash to be officially sponsored by the newly incorporated Jack London District Association was Trash Bash VI held in April 2005 to coincide with Earth Day.

Trash Bash VII followed in 2006, and then Trash Bash VIII in 2007.

Labels: trashbash