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New executive director
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The FPSE Housing and Economic Development Corporation elected a new executive director,
Irving Blue. He will start on April 1, 2003. Blue has been active with neighborhood and
college groups in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is a city planner, according to
reports in the Kansas City Star. Look in the April issue of the
Buzz for more
information and Blue’s plans as he begins work in FPSE.
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Reparations Board project
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Nancy McCarthy of Probation and Parole will introduce the "Community Reparations
Board," at the March 20 meeting of the Security Task Force. In the reparations project,
volunteers act as probation officers for first- and second-time offenders from their
neighborhood. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at the McCormack House on Kingshighway and Manchester
[note change since paper copies of the Buzz were printed].
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Fire safety
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Smoke detectors, fire alarms, and free home safety evaluations will be available
Wednesday, March 26. A safety program will be at the Adams Park Community Center from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sponsors are Beyond Housing / Neighborhood Housing Services and the
St. Louis Fire Department. For information, call 533.0600, x 102.
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On the bright side
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Operation Brightside’s "blitz" date for FPSE is Saturday, March 29. This is a
chance both to do clean up and to get to know neighbors, blitz co-commander Sonda
Thompson said.
Special emphasis is on getting rid of tires because they collect small pools of water
that are ideal mosquito-breeding places. Mosquitos are more than annoying because they
carry the West Nile Virus from birds to people, Brightside organizers said. Brightside
asks everyone to help protect themselves and their families by reducing dense, bushy
areas, by keeping property litter-free, and by eliminating all sources of standing water
(gutters, buckets, flower pots, and tires).
On blitz day, bulk item pick-up will begin at 10:00 a.m. Car batteries, used motor oil,
large appliances, and tires will be recycled. Keep those items separate from household
items such as furniture and mattresses. Sonda reminds everyone to keep large items away
from the dumpsters and roll out carts so that trash trucks will be able to empty them.
Brightside co-commanders are Sonda Thompson (north of Manchester) and Edna Campbell
(south of Manchester). They will distribute trash bags to block captains. For more
information, call Sonda at 534.1709 or Brightside at 772.4646.
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Park East progress
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Apartments are being finished and released at approximately two per month from now
until the end of year, for a total of 73 units in 24 buildings, Debbie Davison reported
at the February meeting of the Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association. All apartments
should be completed by end of this year, and they are being filled quickly, Debbie said.
Lipton will be very pro active in neighborhood watch efforts and wants residents to
call 911 whenever they see suspicious activity around the project properties. Debbie
cautioned that when rehab work is being done, “professional thieves” steal
appliances and materials from the sites.
The project's apartments are rent-restricted and available only to those with incomes
less than 60% of median. HUD's median income for St. Louis is $63,900 for a family of
four. Park East apartment rents are $350 for 1-bedroom, $465 for 2-bedroom, and $585 for
3-bedroom.
Lipton uses credit checks and criminal checks to qualify tenants, Debbie said. More
than 87% of current FPSE residents applying do not qualify because of criminal records,
or huge credit debt, or evictions, she reported. It also enforces "community Rules"
which include: no public drinking, no loitering, no sitting on steps, and lawn furniture
only on porches and in yards.
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Manchester planning
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McCormack Baron and Associates is planning for how to bring about a trend-setting
turnaround for a much bigger future for Manchester Avenue, staff member Stan Mulvihill
reported at the March meeting of the Housing and Economic Development Corporation.
Mulvihill described Manchester as a “terrific site.” He has talked with
consultants, property owners, and earlier plan participants as he looks for what could
happen "if the street came alive."
Not every property can be done all at once, Mulvihill said. He noted that it took 15 or
20 years for Clayton and the Delmar Loop to become what they are today. Any proposal
will be consistent with the 1999 draft plan, he added.
Mulvihill believes some housing could be nurtured for middle- and lower-income
families. He said he intends to talk to all the owners and he pledged to work with the
existing plan and Mainstreet in his followup work with the H&EDCorp.
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H&EDCorp - APCC merger?
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The executive committees planned a joint meeting for themselves on March 13 to discuss
the relationship between the Housing and Economic Development Corporation and the Adams
Park Community Center. The members attending the meeting are to report back to the
H&EDCorp board at its April 7 meeting.
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Board membership
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At the March meeting, the H&EDCorp board approved membership for Helen Sheets (Adams
Grove Improvement Association), Lara Thiel (Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association),
Joe Lautner (Ranken East Neighborhood), and David Renard (Wedge Group).
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Health services
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The Family Care Health Center is taking new patients. The center offers help in
determining eligibility for Medicaid for adults and MC+ for children. Pregnancy testing,
nutrition programs, dental, ob/gyn services, family planning, HIV counseling and testing
are available at the center, which is at 4352 Manchester Avenue. Call 531.5444 to make
an appointment.
For more information, check
www.familycarehealthcenter.com
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April neighborhood walk
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Lighthouse Free Methodist Church (Tower Grove and Norfolk) will host FPSE's First
Saturday Peace Walk on April 5. Neighbors will gather at 8:30 a.m. George Jones
stressed that the walks are not demonstrating for or against any cause but are "a chance
to join with other members of our community in support of peace in our individual lives,
our homes, our community, and our world." About twenty-five neighbors participated in
the March 1 walk.
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Computer opportunities
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Computer hardware classes for youth between ages of 14-19 are at Lighthouse Community
Outreach Center, 1218 Tower Grove. The classes or on Saturdays, from 10:30 till noon.
Participants get to rebuild a computer and take it home. Call Josh or Ellen at 531-7525
for more information.
Computer classes are held at Agapé House Outreach Center at 1201 Tower Grove on
Thursdays, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Call 535.8190 for more information.
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Juneteenth planning
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The next Juneteenth Coalition meeting will be at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, 2003
at Prince Hall. All FPSE business, organizations, churches and residents are invited and
encouraged to participate, George Jones said. If you or your organization is interested
in doing something to celebrate Juneteenth, please contact:
fpseya@stlouis.missouri.org
or 908.3550 and leave a message.
Already there are tentative plans for: a Fatherhood Walk and Rally in FPSE; a play
along with many other events and vendors at Adams Community Center and throughout FPSE;
the traditional baseball game at Jim Edmond's Field; a blues concert in Tower Grove
Park; and a free Mike Jones Football camp at Normandy High School from June 18 to 21.
Also being planned is the fourth annual January 11 observance of the day in 1865 when
slavery was abolished in Missouri, George added.
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It pays to advertize
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Two thousand printed copies of the Buzz go to the homes, churches, businesses, and organizations
of FPSE every month. Call Constance Johnson at 531.0285 about advertising
opportunities.
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