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General neighborhood meeting
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The Neighborhood Coordinating Team and the Community Council sponsored the meeting, Saundra Moss (NCT chair) and Bob Babione (Community Council president) facilitated.
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Attendance
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Rachel Smith, Alison Cien Fuegos, Donald E. De Vivo, Chuck
Tyler, Brian Phillips, Ester Shin, Kabir Muhammad, Ida Roundtree,
Bob Babione, Saundra Moss,
Rev. Mark Weber, Rev. Allen Johnson, George J.Jones, Jr.
Bernadine Davis, Sarah Green, Ernestine Isaiah, Joan Botwinick, Diana Green,
Ken Gilbert and Roy Lee from Agape House, Ester Williams, Dan Scott,
K. Small, Sonda Thompson, Carmen Long, Dexter Silvers, Liz Robinson,
Phil Heagney, Ann Thompson, and Ninth District Officer Willard Lipe.
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Forum on crime and prosecution norms
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The community forum on crime and violence will be Saturday, January 11, 2003, from 9 a.m. Until 1 p.m. At the Adams Community Center. Residents may address representatives from the police department, circuit attorney's office, and board of probation and parole. Free food will be provided. Further information: Khatib Waheed, 389.5029.
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Accomplishments
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Saundra reported on accomplishments like the new playgrounds at Adams School and Rainbow Park, with Teddy Bear Park to be completed in the Ranken East area in the Spring. Also, the Adams Community Center was completed and programs are underway. Additional housing has been developed, including the senior assisted living center, McCormack House II.
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ARCHS history and present situation
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Bob explained that the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI) was part of the response to the late Governor Carnahan's initiative for changing the way state agencies delivered services. Carnahan proposed partnerships with residents. State resources were to be pooled and priorities set by the people involved. Because this was a big change and because state budgets were sharply reduced, the effort floundered. ARCHS (the St. Louis partner in the effort) kept changing to cope with the changing situation, with the latest change being the establishment of the Sustainable Neighborhoods Development Office (SNDO) headed by Don Bell. The SNDO is charged with seeking grant and foundation funds to finance neighborhood projects. No pool of money exits at this time. The money-raising efforts will be in response to doable priorities set by neighborhood residents for economic development, housing, human services, and other projects.
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Reports on what is going on
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Chuck Tyler, Adams Park Community Center executive director, said 285 family members (including 200 youth under 15 years of age) are served. The after-school program has 45 to 60 children. Chuck said no child under 16 would be turned away for lack of the one-dollar activity fee. Activities include a co-ed soccer team and a baseball team in the Spring. The center hosts many neighborhood meeting without charge.
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Rachel Smith, assistant circuit attorney assigned to the neighborhood
justice project, explained that the police and
prosecutor aimed at drug buyers coming from outside
the neighborhood. Recent undercover operations
resulted in 17 arrests, with 8 charges filed. She
introduced Ninth District officer Willard Lipe, one
of the Ninth District "problem property" officers who
will be assigned to the neighborhood after the first
of the year. He will coordinate efforts with building
inspectors and other steps to get buildings fixed, or
condemned, or demolished. You can reach Lipe by
phone at 444.2565 or by email at
wclipe@slmpd.org
The second problem properties officer will be Mark West, 444.2569 or
mswest@slmpd.org.
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Esther Shin of Urban Strategies, which works under contract with the Washington University Medical Center, gave details about Healthy Kids at Play (a Children's Hospital initiative) in providing the neighborhood parks. Due to environmental hazards, the Teddy Park project was delayed to clean the site. Washington University Medical Center is donating the funds to clean the site which should be completed in the spring of 2003. Urban Strategies obtained gifts of $275,000 from the Gateway Foundation for a water feature at the Adams playground. The medical center funded an organizer to work on safety issues, with the person being chosen by a resident committee. Steven Parrish was selected by the committee and will
start work on January 6. Annie Casey or others may provide grants for a farmer's market on Manchester with the purpose of stimulating economic development.
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Brian Phillips, WUMC Redevelopment Corporation Executive Director, reported on the successful funding of the community center and the opening of McCormack House. In cooperation with RHCDA, the Park East development is rehabilitating about 100 units into about 80 units, some rental and some for sale.
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Kabir Muhammad introduced himself. ARCHS hired him to address gang problems in several neighborhoods, including FPSE. His telephone number is 581.4571. He asked residents to report any graffiti that they see.
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Esther Williams, who has been staffing the employment program in the
neighborhood, reported that continued funding is still
uncertain, after funding ran out on November
30. Esther noted that Alderman Roddy has released
$100,000 of CDA funds for training and employment of
10 youth living within the 17th Ward.
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Joan Botwinick, volunteer coordinator for the Fixx-Up Fund, handed out an information sheet. Since January 2000, the fund has helped 60 families in FPSE stay in their homes, referred multiple-problem matters to other resources, and encouraged Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The budget is about $15,000 per year. Greater funding would help keep more residents safe in their community.
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Alison Cien Fuegos,
alison100fires@earthlink.net, ACORN member, proposed a citizen's watchdog group to monitor public schools serving FPSE children. Such a group would implement the "no child left behind" provision of recent federal legislation. The target is to have all students rated as "proficient" by 2014. She emphasized that teacher quality was important.
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Esther Shin noted three projects: (1) support at Adams school for
(a) an administrative assistant for Adams principal
Sharonica Hardin (requires $25,000 per year, with only
this year funded so far) and computer technology and
reading programs for grades besides kindergarten and
third grade ($300,000); (2) a program to help families
claim their Earned Income Tax Credits (a possible
benefit averaging $1,500 per household); and (3) a youth employment program that would include activities such as cleaning alleys and helping seniors and that would include components for literacy training and IDAs.
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Rev. Allen Johnson discussed Metro Ministries' employment-and-housing program. The program has provided transitional housing to persons recovering from mental illness and addictions. The hope is to add a permanent-housing component to the program.
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Saundra elaborated on the suggestion for an early childhood
development project as one that would serve 2- and
3-year-olds with structured activity. It could make
use of the new parks. It would not be just a
babysitting service.
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Bob provided information on six more proposals:
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youth employment program;
more programs addressing stress and mental illness;
Fixx-Up funding for health and safety needs;
affordable housing with a land trust, sweat equity, and energy
efficiency;
improvement of the"front doors" of businesses; and
cooperative for wirelwss Internet access.
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The Sustainable Neighborhoods Neighborhood Development Coordinator, Ida Roundtree, explained that the SNDO wants residents to say what their priorities are, with each neighborhood coming up with three specific programs. SNDO has a form for naming and describing the projects. That form is to be completed before the next SNDO Action Cabinet meeting on January 16, 2003.
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Don DeVivo mentioned the need for more publicity about a low-interest loan program for home repairs. Loans of up to $25,000 are available at 5 or 6 percent. People interested in the such loans should inquire at Commerce Bank.
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Adjournment
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The meeting ended with no specific plan, but attendees were encouraged to come up with specific projects that were needed in the neighborhood to submit to SNDO. Bob indicated his hope for further discussions and a ballot to be distributed neighborhood-wide.
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Great food and refreshments were available before, during and after the meeting.
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