Philly residents moving forward with July 4th barbeques despite no trash service
By Shawnette Wilson, FOX 29
WEST PHILADELPHIA – You might have seen it or smelled it. Trash is piling up across the city and as the holiday weekend rapidly approaches, residents are saying they are still planning to celebrate in the birthplace of America, no matter what.
What we know:
July Fourth celebrations in Philly will happen even as residents struggle with trash pickup during a strike of municipal workers.
What they’re saying:
“If anyone is trying to use this strike or work stoppage as a reason to not visit the city of Philadelphia and be with us on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the 4th of July, they’ve given you an excuse. But we are going to have an amazing time,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker during a news conference Wednesday. She said the show will go on even with the interruption of some city services.
And some residents are saying the same thing about their own celebrations.
“Probably cook and grill a little bit. That is not going to change anything,” said Toni Aikens who says the pause in trash pickup will not stop her from moving the grill from her porch to the street Friday.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer
As the DC 33 worker strike grinds on, residents are being asked to bring their garbage to one of 60 drop-off sites the city had set up across the city. There are also six sanitation convenience centers, which will be open daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The city says residents can bring up to eight bags of trash on their given collection day to a drop-off site, which will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
As for overflowing dumpsters and bags of trash littering sidewalks, Crystal Jacobs Shipman, the commissioner of the Department of Sanitation, said vendors were attempting to replace full containers with empty ones multiple times per day, but are running into issues causing delays.
Mayor, DC 33 leadership failed to reach deal and talks are not expected to resume today
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