Rycke Brown,
Natural Gardener
1415
SW Bridge Street
Grants
Pass, Oregon 97526
541-955-9040
rycke@gardener.com
June 28, 2026
To the neighbor who zip-tied
a very well-done laminated notice about what should be brought to the Bridge
Street sharing shelf.
Your notice had several
flaws. It was anonymous and unauthorized,
so I can’t address you directly, and people would think I wrote it. Therefore, I am posting it and my reply on
Nextdoor.
I agree with most of it,
but the idea that we do not welcome “sofas and large furniture” is wrong. We never had to bring any large furniture,
including mattresses, from our curb to the dump. Some people have done it for us. It makes them feel good to help us out. In the last month or so, we had three separate
deliveries of couches and other furniture.
The first couch was in very
good shape, apart from a bit of grime around the bottom, but someone took the
center cushion, and it took 3 weeks for a nice couple to take it to the dump. The second was a sectional couch, which was
taken within a few days. The third was
another sectional couch, which went within an hour. Free stuff goes fast. I took in a nice, comfy chair with a little
grime that fits my short legs nicely.
Large wooden furniture
and glass-top tables tend to go quickly.
Some people take such items even when a drawer or shelves are missing,
so they can fix them and sell them at their own yard sale or whatever.
What is really irritating
is small trash: appliances without necessary parts; toys missing parts; torn
clothes; worn out or single shoes and boots; books without covers; and obviously
littering of our shelf and curb. Dirty
clothes, I take in to wash. If stains
don’t come out, I toss them in the trash. There is one person who persists in
dropping plastic confetti around the shelf, apparently just to make me pick it
up. I have to pick up small stuff so as
not to allow litter to build up.
People are either orderly
or disorderly in their habits. The
disorderly will always be with us, but they are a small minority. Some people like to help maintain a good idea
and should not be deprived of the opportunity.
I am grateful for everyone who helps.
Sincerely
yours,
Rycke
