Paul Bass Photo
Gregory Edwards and Scarlet were caught by surprise Wednesday morning when they walked out their front door.
It wasn’t the sirens from the police cruisers flying down the street that caught their attention. Officers were responding to a ShotSpotter notification of possible gunfire on the next block. (The responding officers, pictured, ended up not finding evidence confirming the notification.)
Nor was it the burnt odor still emanating from Dix Deli around the corner two days after a fire that left the convenience store and upstairs apartments boarded up. (The cause of the fire remains under investigation.)
It was a tulip. Or what was left of it. Near the sidewalk.
“Amongst all of the litter and filth,” Edwards reflected, “comes this beautiful flower.”
Needless to say, it was a metaphor moment for the daily coexistence of challenge and wonder living on Willis Street.
Edwards bought the circa 1902 Colonial single-family home in 2010 and fixed it up. He finds living there frustrating, beginning with “the gun violence.”
“I’m kind of happy” that the fire shut down Dix Deli, Edwards said during a conversation on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program. “All they did all day was sell crack outside. There are nothing but problems there. And the police let it happen. [And] my taxes are going up.”
He pointed to a vehicle parked a half-block away at the intersection of Dixwell.
“Right there is drug dealing all day long. People come and they sit in the car and they sell drugs on the corner of Willis Street. Look it’s happening right now. This is all day long.”
Then again, there are the neighbors.
“I love my neighbors,” Edwards said.
And the trees. Urban Resources Initiative (URI) planted seven of them stretching down the block. They’re thriving.
Edwards was taking the day off from his job at a Westport hair salon to care for his three teen sons, whom he had for the day while they were on spring break from school in Hamden.
Scarlet, who usually works the night shift, was on her way to work Wednesday morning filling in for a day-shift colleague as a courier at a medical practice with multiple offices. After meeting Edwards online (they were both previously married), she said, she moved here a year ago from bucolic Stone Ridge, N.Y. (population 1,234).
She does miss all that nature, she said. On the other hand, she looks “at each new move, each new place, as an adventure,” where beauty and renewal can be found in unexpected places, whether in personal relationships or in physical environs.
Take their front yard. While the tulip’s time was passing, another tree in their front yard, a redbud, was in full bloom.
And by next week, Edwards pointed out, all those city trees on the block “are going to bloom and blossom.”
Click on the video to watch the full conversation with Gregory Edwards and Scarlet on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
Click here and see below for other episodes of “Word on the Street.”
The Word on Park Street: Fast & Steady
Sprung From Work, Nick Samples City’s Buzz
Angel Drives, Delivers Toward Easter
Word On Sherman: Candy Looks Beyond Mandy
Word On Chapel: MonaLisa Steps Up
The Word On Edgewood:“Maintenance Guy” Comes To The Fore
Word On Fountain: Let The Sunshine In
Word On Winthrop:“It’s A Ford”
Texan Teacher Kvells
Word On Whalley: Justice Rides
Word On Nicoll Street: Big Picture Comes In Focus
Word On Kensington Street: Paintbrushes Pass Down
The Word On Maple Street: STEM?‘Snow Sweat
Word On Crown Street:“Warehouse Guy” Hops In The Truck
Word On The Street: Ashes Mark New Life Chapter
The Word On County Street: Greg Weighs His Next Move
Surprise Drop-Off Turns Bottle Man East
Word On Boulevard: Love’s On The Menu
Old-School Chainsaw Comes Through
During Dwight Detour, Dominique Discovers Eden
Dreams Flagged on Ellsworth
Word On The Street: ICU Crew Lands At Bella’s
Pizzeria Raises Dough For Turkish Earthquake Victims
Word On Springside: Hot Pile, Cooler Planet
Park Trees Preserved
Word On Winthrop: Mom/Daughter TCBs
Word On Whalley: Wings Rise; Neon Fades
Word On Beers Street: That’s The Drill
Word On The Street: Sisterhood Is Wow-erful
Word On The Street: 1st Step Taken
Word On The Street: New Loos Arrive
Word On The Street: Kash Starts Fresh
Word On The Street: The Gig Cycle Spins
Word On The Street: Dumped Trash Disappears
Word On The Street: Job Interview Awaits
Word On The Street: Callaghan Suits Up
Officer McKernan Refuels For Double Duty
Word On The Street: Fred Keeps Moving
Word On The Street: Mimosa Mania
Word On The Street: Terry Hands Over The Brakes
Safety Hunter Keeps Eye On The Rising Tiers
Leather’s Grandson Returns To The Soil
Jorge Opens A Door
Word On The Street: Dad Awaits The Call
Word On The Street: Bridgette Beats The Sun
Word On The Street:“Blessed,” & Ready For Busy Barber Season
The Word On Brownell Street: Call Luciano
Nana Readies Leaf Bag #32
Word On The Street: Groom Plans Hectic Holiday, Needs Car Back
The Word On Garden Street: Turkey Times Two
Dr. J Clears The Way
Estelita Makes The Journey Back Home
Butts, Burger King Wrappers Vanish At Wendy’s Drive-Thru
Skateboard J Does A 360
Word On The Street: The Banana Vote Emerges
Word On The Street: Sprinkler Heads
Word On Orchard Street: Cheap Gas
Word On The Street: Keep On Truckin’
Martin Readies 1 Last Bridge To Nature
Word on the Street: Call Her“Queen”
Word on the Street: Coach Lance Called It
Word On Dixwell: Scooter Saves Gas
Budding Architect’s Word On The Street: New Haven’s More Laid Back Than Hong Kong
Word On Street:“Smell Good In Your Hood”
Blood (Pressure) Talk Comes To Barber’s Chair
Word On Street: Rizzo Can Stand The Heat
The Tomato Plot Thickens
Without Illusions, Lamont Stewart Makes The Most Of His Morning Walk
Pro-Punk Poet Prof Starts Summer Stretch
Barista Soaks Up New Hometown Flavor
Word On The Street: Park Pre-Work Workout Sets The Tone
Homeless, & Working Exit 5
Aldo Salazar Does The Circuit
Brisa Mendoza STEMs The Graduation Tide
Timmy Turner Takes The Long View
Bike To Work Week Pulls Up To State Street Station
He’s Making Sure Soldiers Won’t Be Forgotten
Legion Ave. Rite Aid Closing; Actor Bummed
Word On Church St.: Drugs Are Everywhere
Indoor“Sunrise” Breakfasts Resume For The Hungry & The Homeless
“VillaFame” Has Designs On The World
Cherry Trees & NFTs Blossom In Wooster Square
9th Square Grows On New New Havener
Warbler Watcher Waits In The Woods
Reggie Gibson Makes A Clean Sweep
Sorry, Wooster Street: This New New Havener Has His Eye On Whalley Pie
Demons Stalk Methadone Run
Surveyor Bundles Up
Grandpa Boyd’s Toes Froze
Jay Jordan Shows Up Early For First Day At Mickey D’s
Track Champ Sets Sights On Firehouse
Can Collector Seeks Redemption
Reborn Stetson Library Opens Its Doors
Mom Prays To Pause Violence
Commuter Rolls With Switch To Train
Word on the Street: Math
Word At The Barber Shop: Ukraine Needs Our Help
Word On The Street: Pain At The Pump
Hamden’s Female Leadership Team Marks International Women’s Day
Taylor Picks Up Her Step
Wednesday’s Word on Grand:“Survival”
Turbocharged Community Soup Kitchen Plans Return To Indoor Dining
Prof On Track To Put Pain Behind Him
Word on The Street: New Beginnings
Lyric Hall Goes With The Flow
1 Valentine’s Day Later, Love Survives
Budget Airline Celebrates 100 Days At Tweed
Bobby’s Not Snitching »Grill Goes Cold After Inspector’s Visit
(Waste)Water St. Report: Omicron Still Fading
Word On The Street: Love Rides On Metro-North
Strolls Keep Soulmates On Life’s Path »Word on the Street: Where’s There’s Smoke …
Dude, Where’s His Car?
Word On The Street:“Level Up”
Word On The Street: Paying Rent, Staying Safe
Word On The Street: Brrrr!
Word On The Street: Caffeine
Word On The Street: 10 AM Georgia Hots
Like the couple says, they like their neighbors, and there is beauty to be found in the city, it’s just a few bad apples that ruin it with gunfire, illegal drug commerce and dumping trash.
If the community, the police, public works and the city collaborate together to improve and address the negative situations, New Haven can thrive and rise again stronger than before.