When John Ossowski moved back to West Utica in 2011, he was disturbed by how much the neighborhood he grew up in had deteriorated during his 4½-year absence. So John decided to employ his interests in bicycles, creatively repurposed materials, and community development to foster social connections, combat urban decay, and give his old stomping grounds a new shot of energy.

The JoeCart is the first in a series of curated stories from the Utica Firefly Storytelling Project