Mt. Hope· Providence, Rhode Island

Chess and Uppity White Folks

I really like what Alyssa has to say. And I like the way she says it.

Finally someone besides me holds the MHNA's feet to the fire: in her post A Different Recipe for Change Alyssa says,

Perhaps the person who runs the Mt Hope Community center could be held more responsible for conducting activities that the kids actually would be interested in.

Alyssa goes on to comment about the type of youth chosen for social programs:

The last time I heard him speak of his plans for youth programs, I heard chess get mentioned. I'm sure that's just what these kids need ...yea maybe 8 in the whole community. The rest of these kids face REALITY on a daily basis, to which chess and uppity white folks do not apply.

Alyssa further strengthens her critique when she argues:

". . . we need to meet the youth in the middle somewhere, and provide for them activities that don't involve hand selecting teens, only to select ones that were going to be successful anyway, to glorify their own stance, to satisfy their own ego

I like that: "activities that don't involve hand selecting teens, only to select ones that were going to be successful anyway."

Well said, I say.

I guess Alyssa and I agree that people (especially politicians, Cops, and wannabe whatevers) like to pump up their stats to gratify their egos and make themselves look good.

Where Alyssa and I diverge in our viewpoints is on Kevin Jackson. I see Jackson as the ultimate enabler. In my opinion Jackson holds the African Community in Mt. Hope back by enabling the lowest of the African American underclass, the drug dealers and the petty criminals the drug trade engenders.

I believe that there are several kingpin drug dealers in Mt. Hope who run the drug trade and who prey on the African American Community even as they are among them in a cloak of respectability.

I believe that the politicians who enable this behavior in exchange for votes know these individuals, know who they are, and turn a blind eye on their criminality and community destroying behavior.

Where Alyssa and I do agree is that something needs to be done to get these Mt. Hope kids away from drugs and to get the adults who enable them behind bars.

What we debate is who controls the drug trade in Mt. Hope. Who enables the drug trade in Mt. Hope. And how can it be stopped when it is enabled by politicians and seemingly ignored by the MHNA, the voice of the African American Community in Mt. Hope.

John Twomey

Posted at 11:54 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Transition Team ! ! !

The Hot Stove League Heats Up!

Red Sox Dismantled!!!

Boy Wonder Theo Epstein Retires: Transition Team Members Can’t Cope

Rule by committee screws up championship team!

The Hot Stove League really heated up this week with the annual winter meetings, where deals are made and MLB teams GM’s swap and trade. It seems like the Red Sox CEO Lucchino, and his money managing cohorts, are dead set on reconfiguring the team, cutting out it’s heart and soul. The losses continue to pile up, and the team that won the World Series just 13 months ago is now virtually unrecognizable.

The Mt. Hope contingent of RedSox Nation says goodbye and good luck to catcher Doug Mirabelli. We will miss you Doug, and we know how much Wake will miss you. Mirabelli exclusively caught knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, and Wake went 16 -8, with Doug catching and 0 – 4, when someone else caught him – you must pay attention to the stats, to the track record. A winning combination should not be cast by the wayside.

Doug Mirabelli--Knuckleball Catcher--Team Player

Doug (the best hitting and defensive relief catcher—knuckleball catcher in baseball) was traded to San Diego for a journeyman 2ndbaseman. A unique talent traded for an ordinary talent, unproven in a high pressure market.

I guess we can say goodbye to Kevin Millar, the Cowboy-up guy (and main feel-good cheerleader—the Red Sox Pollyanna) and Bill Mueller our stellar (and thoroughly professional) third basemen. Shortstop Edgar Renteria was traded to Atlanta today-–he had one horrible season in red sox where he couldn’t adjust to the stress of playing in Boston’s pressure cooker environment. He is just one of many who could not perform when the chips were down. He should do better back in the National League [Summit] where he belongs.

Manny is on the block. Johnny D. has not yet been re-signed and may not be in red sox next year. Rumors have Trot Nixon being shopped around--TROT NIXON! David Wells asked to be traded to the west coast. Most of the starting pitching is being shopped around, save Wake and Schilling.

Time Wakefield is quoted in the Boston Globe as saying:

“The whole starting infield is gone. Manny [Ramirez] will be gone. If they don’t sign Johnny [Damon] he’ll be gone. If they trade Trot [Nixon], holy cow, the only guys left [position players] will be [Jason] Varitek and I and [David] Ortiz.”

Rule by committee is a disaster. A few years ago they tried a “bullpen by committee” and it was an abject failure. Still, mistakes are being made.

A team in transition moves players who are inept and can’t perform under the pressure of the bright lights, and it keeps players who have a proven track record of being able to perform when the chips are down, players who “get it” who understand “what it all means”.

Woe to the team whose committee leadership falls victim to hubris and false confidence, whose leaders have no experience in leading a team to victory. For those, failure waits in the wings.

Oh, that Boston’s own Frank McCourt, real estate developer extraordinaire, had been allowed to buy the Boston Red Sox instead of the cold hearted triumvirate of money managers approved by MLB.

Instead, our renowned McCourt owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would not be denied. And he would have been an owner from Boston who “gets it”. We could have had a dynasty.

Instead we have a gaggle of weak, effeminate egos striving for a reach that exceeds their grasp, acting out a histrionic soap opera like a dysfunstional family of orphaned sisters.

The Transition Team--nothing but a bad joke!

John Twomey

Posted at 12:01 AM | GCCC | Comments (1)

Meeting Minutes, Oct. 20th

Greater Camp Concerned Citizens

Minutes from Member Meeting of October 20, 2005

Introductions of members and invited guests led by Nada Petrovic

Invited Guests: Alan Goulet, Attorney’s General Office, Melissa Dubois, Attorney’s General Office, Councilman Kevin Jackson,
Rita Murphy, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Lt. David Schiavulli, District 8 Commander,

Open Forum for Invited Guests Moderated by Nada Petrovic

Questions directed to Lt. Schiavulli

 Interest in Crime Watch
 Increase drug dealing and drug use in the Camp Street /Cypress Street intersection, Pleasant Street, and Camp Street between Cypress and Larch Streets
 Update on substation

Answers
 NOCD active in Mt Hope
 This district statistically the safest in Providence
 Issue of not enough manpower in the city
 NOCD just got four additional officers
 Providence is the only city in the US that has more firefighters than police officers
 Renovations on substation will be complete in the next few weeks; will be looking for volunteers to man the phones

Discussion about how the Attorney’s General Office affects Mt Hope presented by Alan Goulet and Melissa Dubois (Juvenile Division)

 Once an arrest is made the suspect is then charged
 AG office recommends that drug dealers are held without bail
 Any kind of drug dealing is a felony charge
 AG office recommends jail time for at least a year in all charges of drug dealing
 Court is reluctant to come down hard on juveniles; prefer to rehab them
 Citizens can file Community Impact Statements anonymously through the AG in drug dealing cases
 Prosecution liaisons are getting revamped

Questions for Rita Murphy and Kevin Jackson

 Why spent money on traffic calming instead of police officers?
 Why no traffic calming in Mt Hope?
 Request for no littering signs
 Sidewalk repairs
 Speed bumps
Answers
 Traffic calming project was paid for by bond money; could not be used to fund additional police officers
 Sidewalks do need to be redone
 City is responsible for maintaining all sidewalks; citizens cannot be held liable for condition
 1997 was the last time that sidewalks were redone (approximately 300)
 $1.2 million is set aside to begin sidewalk repairs in the spring
 Beta Engineering has the list of all sidewalks to be repaired
 Speed bumps are not a good idea; denied public services (ambulances, fire trucks, snow plowing, etc.)
 Trees are going to be planted in the island on the intersection of Camp and Rochambeau
 It was cobblestoned at the citizens request; did not want a park
 Bump outs are going to be painted so they are visible at night
 Community needs to interact with MONS and Kevin Jackson with requests and let them handle the problems
 Request for trimming low lying branches; call MONS at 421-CITY
 Police officers will be ticketing people who don’t shovel their sidewalk this winter

Crime Watch Update presented by Ellen Baver

 Need to meet with Lt. Schiavulli
 Want to implement Crime Watch on Woodbine Street as a test
 Member interest on Forest Street
 Crime Watch will try to meet in November

Transition Team presented by Nada Petrovic

 Call for member involvement in transition team
 Transition team will meet in November to start discussing a charter, bylaws, member recruitment, and the 2006 agenda
 Currently ten members on the transition team

A big hand, please, for Jen, for producing these detailed minutes, and for Nada for moderating the meeting, and for everyone who helped out. A good job was done by all.

Posted at 03:13 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Meeting Impressions

Last Thursday's Member's Meeting

I could not attend last Thursday's meeting. How did it go?

I would like to hear people's impressions of the meeting, the guests, what they had to say, the topics covered, the pro's and the con's, what could GCCC do better, and what suggestions can you make, and what are you personally willing to do to help us improve in the areas in which we may need improvement.

The more details you can provide in your comments, the better. For instance, an assessment of what guest speakers said should provide some detail along with your commentary.

That is what this forum is for, for members to discuss the issues relevant to our neighborhood. It still seems under-used, doesn't it?

Not enough posters, not enough opinions, not enough ideas.

Please submit your impressions of the meeting as blog-entries and not as "comments". Thanks.

John Twomey

Posted at 11:38 AM | GCCC | Comments (2)

Member's Meeting Thursday

Greater Camp Concerned Citizens

MEMBERS MEETING

Thursday, October 20th, 6:30 pm
Rochambeau Branch Public Library
708 Hope Street

Agenda

TAKING MT. HOPE INTO THE FUTURE

Invited Guests Attorney General Patrick Lynch, Representative Gordon Fox, Councilman Kevin Jackson, Rita Murphy, Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, District 8 Police Representative

1. Welcome/Introductions
2. Agenda/2005 Recap
3. Guest Speakers
4. Crime Watch Committee Report
5. Reorganization/Transition Team Report
6. Finance Report
7. Member Q & A

Posted at 01:35 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Wine & Cheese Reception

The wine & cheese were good, but the company was even better!

Thanks to all our members who attended Thursday's GCCC meeting and our first ever Wine & Cheese Reception.

I really enjoyed meeting all our new members. It was refreshing to see so many new faces. Thanks to all members who have been out there recruiting.

Thanks, also, to all you who signed up for committee work.

And an especial "Thank You" to Lt. Schiavulli and his men for attending and for clearing up some controvisial topics and for filling us in with some deep background on the current troubles.

It was fun.

John Twomey

Posted at 09:06 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Poor, Poor, Pitifull Me!

NADEZHDA'S ATTEMPT TO POST TO THE BLOG:

Try Number One: Open web site, settle down for a quick scan, phone rings, oldest daughter Aria, visiting from Seattle, "Mom, can you take me to the bus station, I'm going to Boston for the day."

Attempt Number Two: Type in Mthope- phone rings, "Nada, a reporter from the Journal is downstairs. Do you have that Media Release ready?"

Ok, Try Number Three: Open web site, read about East Side vs. South Side, now this is interesting. I just get to the post on Lack of Participation by Those of Us Who Visit the Web ¦ phone rings. "Nada, we have another truckload of stuff for Hurricane Relief, the garage is full. Where shall I tell them to put the 200 cases of baby formula, the 200 cases of adult diapers, the 500 lbs of dog food."

Try Number Four: I put my head on my cool mahogany desk, strewn with empty coffee cups, dollar store spectacles, countless bits of paper, and at least ten inkless pens, the phone rings, middle daughter, Kia, at Classical High School, "Mom, I don't feel very well. Can you pick me up? I'm really sorry."

I stop trying to post for a while and decide to eat some lunch; a greasy affair enjoyed in the company of other sweaty, dirty, exhausted volunteers sorting through boxes and bags and bundles of sheets, blankets, clothes, beanie babies, and wet wipes.

Attempt Number Five: Open web site and manage to dash off a response to Naama's potluck invitation. I am feeling quite proud of my accomplishment. I read Jen's Biographical Post and realize that the Web-Stakes have just been raised. Phone rings. "Nada, I think you should come downstairs right away, a client just rammed into your car."

Of course, the client speaks little English, doesn't have insurance, a driver's license, nor is she sure to whom the car belongs. My rear bumper is not so pretty anymore. So we wait, for a couple of hours, for the police: I get my police report, the other woman gets arrested.

Attempt Number Six: Open web site, notice that many Mt. Hope Web Voyeurs are beginning to contribute ¦ this is no longer a one-man blog. Now if only I could pull my thoughts together for a lucid, profound, insightful post on the social realities and the ethical superiority of urban vs. suburban living ¦ phone rings, it's my thirteen year old son, Andrei, "Mom, don't forget my saxophone when you come to pick me up, I have a lesson tonight."

Attempt Number Seven: I spell check my biographical list of errata, I open the web site, I "accidentally" disconnect my phone, close my office door, and POST TO THE MTHOPE-EASTSIDE.ORG WEB SITE!!!!!!!!!!

I ruefully congratulate myself. A web post is a small accomplishment on this day flecked with the stains of my many omissions: a lonely mother, I didn't call, a disheartened friend who's birthday I neglected, a disgruntled colleague I didn't have time to meet with, a class I had to miss, a dinner I should have made, a hug I am too tired to give.

Nada Petrovic

Posted at 09:09 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Greetings & Welcome

Greetings and Welcome to All Our New Members.

Greater Camp Concerned Citizens (GCCC) picked up a number of new members over the summer, and we welcome you to our organization.

Some new members found us though this website, and some heard about us through current members.

Recruit, Members, Recruit!

Recruiting remains a GCCC organizational priority as we suscribe to the beliefs that power resides in numbers, that politics is a power struggle, and that all politics is local.

So, get out there members, talk to people in your neighborhood or wherever you meet Mt. Hopeans, tell them about GCCC, about our website, and get that $15.00 check for membership dues, and increase our membership rolls.

Anyone wishing to join can click on this link GCCC and send us your info or you can call Irene at 640-8076.

Together, we can make a better Mt. Hope.

John Twomey

Posted at 08:06 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Apology & Mea Culpa Too

I just wanted to apologize to the group for leaving a little earlier than I would have liked last week. The person I was trying to recruit needed a ride back to his house to meet with someone. Didn't want to make him walk back, but I was a little dissapointed that he had to leave so early and ofcourse had to give him a ride back.

Also, I have had many different problems with regards to the property I own in this area, but I hardly bring any of it up at the meetings. I try to take care of it on my own time, and deal with it on my own. I attend these meetings to hear what other people are going through, and find out ways where I can help contribute to the over all cause. You all know I may make a joking remark to the police about the ideal way to handle some of these criminals, but hardly ever bring up, or go on a tangent about the myriad of problems I've been dealing with since buying down here. It's a long story, but again one I hardly talk about at the first two and only meetings I have attended since joining a couple of months ago. Apologize again, and look forward to seeing you all in the future!

Solon

Posted at 10:28 PM | GCCC | Comments (1)

GCCC Meeting a Pleasure.

"That was a very nice meeting." a member.

Thanks to all who attended the GCCC meeting on Wednesday, June 22. About 25 members attended and in addition we had five new member guests, one of whom signed up and paid his dues. Welcome, Jack Walsh, our 64th paid member. In addition, lt. Schiavulli and two beat officers also attended for a total of over 30 in attendance.

The minutes from the meeting will be posted soon.

We reviewed the year to date as far as our Crime Watch initiative and our 2005 GCCC Agenda are progressing.

Ten Crime Watch signs will be ordered and placed.

Some members were disappointed that Rep Fox did not show up again to discuss his promise to schedule a meeting with the State Police as he promised in our March meeting. Fox has also not followed through on his public pledge to secure some funding for GCCC through legislative grants.

Graffiti on my Fence (since Removed) Much Improved

Lt. Schiavulli proved to be a hit among our members who were impressed with his candor and his commitment to improving the quality of life in Mt. Hope through District 8 community policing. The topics covered by the Lt. are too detailed to go into here, but will be covered later. Lt. Schiavulli stressed how much improved Mt. Hope is over the last 15 years.

We had two different parties who came to the meeting to address their specific agenda and the problems specific to them and not to the community in general. One party, two people from Forest Street, wished to address the loitering on and around 206 Camp Street and outside the Men’s Pride building on Camp Street. They were reluctant to join or to even share their address, phone, or e-mail address even after we committed significant time to discussing their issues. When I asked them to join GCCC, and pointed out that they had already received more than $15.00 worth of service, (GCCC dues for one year) they demurred in joining our organization.

The other party, one member and his guest, a contractor, Pat, who has worked for Donald Shein, came to complain that his contractor’s tools had been stolen from his job sites. It was suggested by Irene that the contractor invest in an alarm system for the jobs he works on as a cost effective solution to prevent theft.

After we devoted about 30 minutes of our time to the contractor’s issues, this party of two unceremoniously got up and left in the middle of the meeting, obviously because they had addressed the issues important to them, and because the general issues relevant to the community at large held no interest to them. More than one member commented on how transparent, rude and disrespectful this behavior seemed.

This prompted a discussion after the meeting about how to handle this problem in the future. It was suggested that we restrict the meetings strictly to members only and if any non members wish to attend to discuss their specific issues, they pay GCCC dues before being allowed in to the meeting.

Another, suggested a pre-emptive strike, by asking before the meeting if anyone will be needing to leave before the meeting is over and why. And asking if they have a specific issue to address.

Numerous times we have run into people who wish to use the GCCC organization to further their own narrow agenda without contributing to furthering the improvement of the Mt. Hope community as a whole. Perhaps it is time to develop techniques to prevent these types of people from wasting our time and energy. Your suggestions on this topic are welcome.

At the close of the meeting members discussed the formation of the Reorganization/Election Committee for the election of new officers in September.

Elections will be held for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Members Secretary for Recruitment, Political Liaison Officer, and Community Relations Director.

All members paid up for the year 2005 by August 15th will have a vote.

Members will be drawing up new by laws, rules of order for meetings, and a comprehensive GCCC general agenda. We will begin disseminating information on this process shortly.

Recommit, recruit, and realize, it takes a village!

And that it takes individuals, working, on a day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year basis!

With that kind of philosophy and committment, we can forge a new Mt. Hope, inclusive and diverse, and we can break free from the chains of the Drug Culture and the crime that keeps us apart, ruins our quality of life, and that wants to make us prisoners in an insular life.

Our GCCC Mission Statement states that we strive to improve the quality of life for all Mt. Hope residents.

Remember that.

John Twomey

Posted at 12:01 PM | GCCC | Comments (3)

GCCC Meeting Tonight, 6:30

At the Rochambeau Library.

Another rash of break-ins to houses and cars has occured lately in District 8, between 20 to 30 combined. Now is the time to be cautious and careful in order to not be a victim.

Sources believe this crime rash is the work of experienced criminals, perhaps some who were recently released from incarceration.

Our new District 8 Commander, Lt. David Schiavulli, will attend the meeting and talk about community policing in Mt. Hope and District 8.

Posted at 04:08 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

June 16, 2005

Call for Agenda Items

If you have issues . . .

Any one who wishes to suggest items to add to the agenda of our GCCC meeting of June 22, please contact me as soon as possible if you want to get them on the agenda. Invitations with the agenda will be going out soon.

So far our guests include State Rep. Fox with a State Police representitive and our new District 8 Commander, Lt. Schiavulli.

We will recap the 2005 year to date, discuss the Crime Watch formation, the 2005 agenda, and the reorganization of GCCC with an eye towards officer elections by September.

To suggest agenda items:

John@mthope-eastside.org or call 640-8077

Posted at 02:39 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

May 19, 2005

GCCC Meeting Rocked!

Thanks and Special Thanks

Thanks to all who attended last night's meeting. A number of new members attended, and we offer a special thanks to you.

Going into last night's meeting we counted 52 members, but with last night's new members and the the checks that came in today's mail, in all, GCCC now boasts 57 paid members. Last night's attendance numbered 25.

Last night we formed a Crime Watch Committee to help Ellen and Roy, our Crime Watch co-chairs, formulate a workable action plan for street by street coverage of crime watch recruiting. Six members signed on, and we wish to hold our first meeting next week.

We touched upon the 2005 GCCC Agenda, which consists of two parts: the ambitious and demanding project, the Community Wide Mt. Hope Crime Watch, and The Mt. Hope Beautification and Infrastructure Improvement Project.

We wish to begin immediately on parts of the Beautification & Infrastrusture project: the cleanup of vacant lots and land by the parties legally responsible for the property and identifing all potholes and road repairs within Mt. Hope that need the DPW's attention.

We must first identify and chart all vacant lots and land in Mt. Hope, then determine who is responsible for their maintenance. We must also identify and chart all potholes and neglected road repairs before presenting the list to the DPW and the City.

We will need logistical help for these projects, like assembling an alphabetical list of Mt. Hope Street names, color coded maps of Mt. Hope, we will need a War Room.

We need members with vigilant eyes to spot and report vacant lots and road locations.

This is where the Mt. Hope Weblog will come in handy.

We welcome your creative suggestions as to how we should proceed.

Our next meeting will be a big one, June 22. We will begin preparing a list of guests to invite, from City Departments, related to our ongoing projects.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Call for a person to fill the GCCC officer position of Member's Secertary.

Our current MS cannot continue in the position due to the demands of his new business start-up, but Sam will continue to help with research and data mining.

We need a person who is personable, a quick study, and willing to do a certian amount of leg work recruiting members and Corporate Members. Irene will provide training in recruiting techniques to the new Officer.

Interested members, please conatct me at john@mthope-east-side.org or call me @ 640-8077.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In the comming days I will be posting more about how members can contribute using this weblog.

Thank you to the members who have been contributing to the blog. More people still use the blog than contribute to it. We all need to step up a bit more and get over our hangups and shyness and whatever holds us back.

I think you all have been doing some good work.

John Twomey

Posted at 01:09 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

March 25, 2005

Easter Egg Hunt

The Annual Greater Camp Concerned Citizens Easter Egg Hunt for kids will be held Saturday morning, March 26th, at the atheltic field at Hope High School, off Olney Street. At eggactly 11:00 am, the hunt beggins

See what you can find, kids: eggsiting prizes for all. We wish you all eggceptional luck, and eggstra best wishes.

Good luck, and good hunting. Find all the Easter Eggs or Horace will get eggsasperated!

Posted at 02:05 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

March 22, 2005

Position Papers on Issues

Calling for members to contribute to position papers on issues members have identified as important to the community.

Green Space in Mt. Hope,

Code Enforcement, Zoning, and Preservation of Historical Character in Mt. Hope.

GCCC cannot advocate for issues that members have identified as important with out performing due diligence on each issue and outlining a position and a plan of action.

We need the members who feel passionately about these issues to research the subjects as they pertain to Mt. Hope and to present their findings to the group for deliberation.

So far no one has answered the call for the other position paper we called for, New Affordable Housing in Mt. Hope: perhaps some members would be willing to form a Working Group to tackle a comprehensive overview of the three topics.

If no members step forward to work on these issues, these issues will not be part of GCCC's 2005 agenda.

Any members who wish to contribute to the Working Group should contact me:

john@mthope-eastside.org or use the blog submission form addressed to John, Subject: Working Group

Posted by John Twomey

Posted at 01:57 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

March 18, 2005

New Positions Created

At their March 17th, meeting last night, the members of Greater Camp Concerned Citizens voted to create two new positions: The Members Secretary and the Political Liason Officer.

We will be introducing you to these new officers shortly.

The Members Secertary will be charged with the duty of increasing the GCCC membership by vigorous recruitment. He will also be developing the enrollment of local businesses as corporate members and devising a cost benifit relationship between GCCC and its corporate members.

The Political Liason Officer will be spending some time down at City hall learning the ins and outs of the political process as it relates to what is going on in Mt. Hope. He will become adept at doing a title search, or researching a code violation, or tracking funding moving through the City Coucnil. He will get on a first name basis with members of the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Services and with the employees of many city departments. I hope we don't overwork this poor officer.

We will be announcing the names of the people who were elected to these newly created postions in the near future.

Posted by John Twomey

Posted at 01:53 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

Call for Position Papers

Announcing: A call for Position Papers

Members have named some of the issues they claim are important for them and of critical importance to the Mt. Hope Community either now or at some point in the near future.

This is a call for members to participate in the preparation of position papers on a number of these subjects:

New Affordable Housing in Mt. Hope,

Green Space in Mt. Hope,

Code Enforcement, Zoning, and Preservation of Historical Character in Mt. Hope.

I will outline some points that I think each position paper should cover but to which they are not strictly limited.

New Affordable Housing in Mt. Hope (NAH)

This paper should cover the following:

Is there a greater need for more affordable housing in Mt. Hope compared to other East Side neighborhoods? If someone or some organization has identified a need, upon what statistical evidence is this need based?

A Statistical analysis of housing in Mt. Hope: number of Section 8 tenants, number of subsidized units, number of tax subsidized units targeted toward low income buyers, percentage of SH/AH units in Mt. Hope compared to other East Side neighborhoods.

An annalysis of income demographics in Mt. Hope and the impact of adding more affordable housing to the existing stock of affordable units on the population of Mt. Hope and on the income demographics of Mt. Hope.

How do the people/organizations proposing more "afordable housing" in Mt. Hope define “Affordable Housing”. By "affordable housing" do they also mean "subsidized housing."

Do planned/proposed affordable housing projects include plans for buyers or renters. If they include units for renters, would they include units available for section 8 vouchers. How many section 8 units would be included in such porposals?

Would the proposed affordable/subsidized housing be permitted, zoned, or designed to make them compatible with the historical character of the existing Mt. Hope housing stock?

Who are the people/organizations proposing New Affordable Housing in Mt. Hope? Do they live in Mt. Hope? What is their stake in the neighborhood? What is their motivation?

Where will the money come from for NAH in Mt. Hope.

And don’t stop there. Be as thorough as possible in examining the pros and cons of having more affordable housing added to the Mt. Hope housing stock.

Much data is out there to be mined. Our new Political Liaison Officer may be called in to help guide the authors research, but first we need to identify members willing to form a working group to tackle this position paper.

I will next post guidelines on the other topics.

If interested in contributing you may use the comments tab or call or email me or you can PM me (private message) by using the white submission box on the blog; just be sure you write "Private Message, not for posting" at the very top.

If no members are willing to take on this task we will drop this issue from the GCCC agenda for 2005.

Posted by John Twomey

Posted at 01:50 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)

GCCC Meeting Ruled!

A very special thanks to all GCCC members, Mt. Hope residents all, who helped make our meeting a resounding success.

Thanks to State Rep Gordon Fox and AAG Laura Pisaturo, our very special guests, for their strong contributions.

In the coming days we will be reporting on the meeting in depth and planning for our next meeting, sometime in the next three weeks.

Follow through is very important.

Thinking, meeting, and talking constitute the easy part of any plan, then comes the execution, the actual work, the hard part.

Let the fun begin.

Posted at 01:49 PM | GCCC | Comments (0)