Committed to Community

Peter Downs and Maureen McMillan with children Bergin, the youngest, and Devlin. Maureen is a life-long Soulard resident. Husband and writer Peter is originally from Michigan. (People Productions photo by Clark Rowley)

Few people in the United States, let alone Soulard, recognize any authority from "village elders," of course. Nonetheless, Susan observes that "it is interesting the neighborhood wants to encourage neighborliness, to project a sense of community, while permitting a festival which many perceive as a ticket to trespass on those values. Does the neighborhood, as a whole, see the contradiction?"

Richard believes, as many do, that the mixture of residential and commercial interests constitutes one element of the charm of Soulard. He explains that "one function of the Beautification Committee is to balance the residential/business equation to the satisfaction of all."

Maureen points out that "some people patronize Soulard businesses, such as bars and restaurants, because this is a residential area, and Soulard reminds them of a village, a desirable setting for recreational activities. Similarly, Soulard is a diverse community, not only economically, but also ethnically. Diversity and the village atmosphere, to be successful, require neighborliness. Neighborliness, in turn, demands a nourishing environment. I do not feel that this environment exists to the degree that it should," Maureen explains.

"At its core, neighborliness is about the assumption of responsibility," Susan explains. "In Lafayette Square, for example, the environment is such that neighbors are better able to align their interests and to work together to fight litter. Litter, of course, is an obvious symbol of the failure of people to be responsible for their own actions," she believes. "From this struggle, they can progress to other community building objectives," she remarks.

Working around a thicket of identifying tags, Soulard homeowner Sylvia Steiner tends cress in the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center greenhouses in St. Louis County. Cress grows and seeds quickly, making it ideal for research projects at the non-profit bio-technical center.(People Productions photo by Clark Rowley)

"In Soulard, on the other hand, cross currents exist. It is not fully understood that businesses, as well as residents, need to take responsibility for their actions and the actions of customers. The price the neighborhood pays for this is the difficulty Soulard has of advancing beyond its litter and vandalism problems," Susan comments.

Maureen concedes that there will always be people "who will ignore standards of conduct and even codified norms or laws because they feel such standards do not apply to them or it is inconvenient that they obey these standards." She adds that "a united neighborhood should be able to pick up the slack."

Susan agrees, but "picking up the slack" is difficult "unless the entire community is aware of and devoted to its responsibilities, to neighborliness and to community, and not just to some bottom line," she explains.

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