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Haymarket Produce Vendors Told To Clean Up

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Nov 20, 2009 11:18 pm US/Eastern

Haymarket Produce Vendors Told To Clean Up

Reporting
Christina Hager
BOSTON (WBZ) ― Have you ever smelled the air on Blackstone Street after the weekend Haymarket produce vendors pack up and leave?

"I think it probably attracts rats and things like that. It doesn't smell great," said one passerby as she makes her way through the crowd.

The open air market between Faneuil Hall and the North End is a Boston tradition dating back to the 1830s. Now, city officials say it is time to update the garbage clean-up with a modern-day system.

"It's costing us $100,000 a year for this operation," said Chief of Public Works Dennis Royer.

That figure refers to the amount of overtime the city pays crews to clean trash left behind by Haymarket vendors every Friday and Saturday night.

The city is now investing in new permanent compacting machines to be placed at the site by this spring. Vendors themselves will be responsible for throwing their own trash in the bins and even separating recyclables.

"There won't be trucks sitting here on a regular basis. You won't have our people going up and down picking up all the trash," said Royer. He adds the compactors will pay for themselves within a year, and will result in a cleaner city.

Some vendors say they're not happy about all the extra work they'll have to do. "I got two guys," said Raul Zelaya. "So maybe we have to get one more guy to take care of the garbage."

Neighbors and regular customers say it's a good idea.

"I worry about the cardboard boxes that are wet, that somebody might slip and fall," said Ronna Fried. "It should be nice. It's a tourist kind of attraction. It should be clean."

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