The area around T-Street Gulch has been one of the tiredest neighborhoods in Tacoma for some time. It has one of the most extensive collections of abandoned vehicles in the city, not to mention swaths of weedy overgrowth.

Now, energized by the city’s Clean & Safe projects and a few remarkable activists, it’s rebranding itself.

It’s First Creek now, and it’s organizing.

Since July, First Creek neighbors have held three meetings, set up partnerships with police and building inspectors, and helped bust three meth and drug sites.

Meetings have grown from the initial 10 people to 60 and 80 residents eager to take back their streets, and yards, and woods.

Their fourth meeting is tonight, Wednesday. Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Portland Avenue Community Center, 3513 Portland Ave. City and Puyallup Tribal police will be there, along with building inspectors and a box of free energy-saving light bulbs compliments of Tacoma Power.