PORT ST. LUCIE'S UNKEMPT YARDS FEATURED ON THE WEB

Ladies and gentleman, start your lawnmowers! Port St. Lucie, Fla., resident Joe Edge's Web site, Portstluciehomesofshame.com, features photographs of local properties with poorly maintained yards, among other flaws, complete with the homeowner's name, address and a list of city code violations. "If the problem goes unchecked...it's going to have an impact on property values," says Edge, who notes that residents from other localities have expressed an interest in seeing a similar Web site for their community. Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson calls the Net venture "a brave new world of neighborhood vengeance." But several residents
whose dwellings were displayed on the site reportedly plan to file defamation lawsuits against Edge. "There's no way you can tell somebody they're a slob and be nice about it," says Edge.

Source: Edmonton Journal (04/21/05) P. B6; Harris, Misty