Watching over the neighborhood

Vinny Vella Sr., the Mayor of Elizabeth Street

"Eyes on the street" refers to the informal, casual observations made by anyone, but also integral to the success of neighborhoods are the slightly more formal, but still unofficial "Mayors." I was reminded of it by this fun article in the NYTimes. One of my favorite colleagues at the community development organization in Brooklyn was referred to as the Mayor of Meserole Street. The term was new to me, but as I got to know her, it immediately clicked. She got into everyone's business, wasn't afraid to tell someone that they should be in school or at work, swept the sidewalk, picked up and cleared out trash, coaxed a garden out of her cement backyard, fought a War of the Roses with her neighbor (who incidentally did not do the fair share on sidewalk sweeping), and where would the neighborhood be without her?