By Nicole McLaughlin
Times Staff Writer

Donna Mulholland was delighted when she moved to Mayfair 16 years ago.
The neighborhood was composed of friendly residents who took pride in their homes. Children filled the block, and everyone got along in the safe, tight-knit community.
However, things have started to change in Mulholland’s neighborhood. Litter is strewn on the streets, and many homes are untidy. Weeds and grass are overgrown on many of the lawns.
Neighborhood morale is down, and thefts and drug dealing are on the rise, she said.
Most of Mulholland’s former neighbors have passed away or moved. She no longer feels the camaraderie that once existed on her street.
“We don’t even know who our neighbors are,” she said.
Mulholland lives near the Forrest Elementary School. During the summer and on weekends, teens congregate in the schoolyard and loiter there late into the night making lots of noise.
The community is quite different from when she first arrived on the 4300 block of Loring St., and she’s not about to passively stand by and watch it change.
In an attempt to “take back the streets of Mayfair,” Mulholland and her husband Michael recently formed the Committee for Concerned Citizens of Mayfair.
Other committee members include Tara Hunsecker and Joe Binns.
Binns grew up in the neighborhood and lives on the 4300 block of Chippendale St.
Over the past five years, he said a careless attitude toward the neighborhood has developed, and conditions reflect that.
“It’s just basic filth,” he said. “It’s very sad when you spend your entire life in one area and see it fall apart piece by piece. It breaks your heart.”
He and his wife have thought about moving, but Binns doesn’t want to abandon his neighborhood.
“I don’t want to give up,” he said. “I have a lot of roots here.”
The Committee for Concerned Citizens of Mayfair didn’t waste any time. Twelve days after its inception, the group hosted a meeting at St. Bernard’s school hall on July 8.
Despite the heat, about 200 people showed up.
District Attorney Lynne Abraham said the numbers proved that residents weren’t going to tolerate the decline.
“This audience tonight indicates to me that you’re mad as hell and you don’t want to take it anymore,” she said.
Abraham encouraged residents to keep detailed records of any unusual activity that occurs at a home where drug dealing is suspected.
Abraham added that the city needs “good” judges to help in the fight against crime. While many judges do their jobs well, others are not being “fair and impartial.”
Among those in attendance were state Rep. Mike McGeehan (D-173rd dist.), City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (D-6th dist.), an aide to state Rep. John Perzel (R-172nd dist.), and Tom Conway, the city’s deputy managing director.
There were also officials from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, the Department of Streets, the D.A.’s Public Nuisance Task Force and the State Police Liquor Enforcement Agency.
Several police officers were also on hand, including Inspector Jeremiah Daley, commander of the Police Department’s Northeast Division.
Daley told the audience that there is a direct correlation between the amount of drug use and crime in the neighborhood. He encouraged parents to get their children involved in sports, the Police Athletic League and other activities that would occupy their time.
Mulholland also urged the large crowd to get involved in the community and said that the stakes are great.
“Everyone must unite,” she stressed. “This is your community. These are your homes. You need to take a stand, get together and clean it up.”
Complaints primarily consisted of nuisance issues, such as overgrown lawns, trash placed outside on non-scheduled days, pet feces, graffiti and other property-maintenance issues.
Audience members were happy to learn that Krajewski’s new program, CLIP (Community Life Improvement Program), handles such complaints.
Homeowners found to be in violation are sent a letter in the mail explaining the problem. They are given 10 days to rectify the situation and told that if they do not, the city will do it for them — and will receive a bill for work done by the city and face fines.
Audience members were encouraged to report problems to Krajewski’s office at 215-686-3444. Callers can remain anonymous but are asked to give specific information about when and where the problem is occurring.
Although the meeting was unruly at times and a broken microphone made things even more difficult, Mulholland was pleased with the large response. She plans to have another meeting in the fall.
“I don’t want them (residents) to lose interest. I don’t want it to burn out,” she said. “This is going to continue. I hope the committee grows.”