Neighbors Endure A Frustrating Waiting Game At The Crack House...

Photo By John Hoff, top, Peter Teachout, Jr., bottom

Hawthorne Board Chairman Peter Teachout--who lives with his three children and wife (due to give birth any minute) across from 3020 6th St. N., a notorious crack house, had expected evictions to occur at the crack house yesterday. However, no evictions occurred and what appear to be blatant drug sales continue to be brisk...

The house was condemned on April 19, 2009, for lack of utilities. But Peter figures the utilities came back on, somehow.

So Peter and his family remain in a frustrated waiting game.

Yesterday, I went over to Peter's house to borrow a power drill and special bit, to remove boards from the "Hawthorne Princess" property of Realtor Connie Nompelis. (Coming in next post, and her name is pronounced No-buhl-iss, it's Greek)

"Have faith," I told Peter, who seldom misses a day in church. "It's the Friday right before a three day weekend. I bet the police are short-staffed from folks taking vacations and, hey, they're busy arresting drug dealers. The wheels of eviction grind slowly, but they are indeed grinding. Fire off your emails, if you must, but have faith in your public officials."

I showed Peter the spiffy new digital camera given to me by Melony Michaels, the wife of John Foster, who was the identity theft victim in the Larry Maxwell mortgage fraud trial. Peter's two oldest children were fascinated by the camera. I handed it over to them to snap some pictures on their own. The photo of Chairman Teachout's truck was taken by Teachout's oldest son, Peter Junior, who is either 6 or 7 years old. (I need to check) In the background is the small gray house I used to own, but sold to the City of Minneapolis for development.

That truck is parked in the very spot where Peter's OTHER truck was torched last Fourth of July, and some crack head pounded on their front door and shouted, "Hey, your TRUCK IS ON FIRE!"

We've endured much in the Eco Village area, but now crime has been reduced to NEAR ZERO, at least as far as arrests and REPORTED crime.

The unknown rate of unknown, unreported crime will ALSO drop down near zero once 3020 6th St. N. is evacuated. We fully expect the army of no-account crack heads will regroup at 3007 3rd St. N., where couches from 3020 6th St. were hauled just a few days ago. But neighbors are "heading them off at the pass."

Inch by bloody inch, we turn our neighborhood around COMPLETELY, thanks to faith, hard work, and comprehensive auto insurance.