Canton Meetings

If anyone would like a definition of Urban Ecology, here a link:

Wikipedia Definition of Urban Ecology

The Canton Meeting on Monday was a real eye-opener, and I am really excited about what we are going to be able to do through and with this program to revitalize the West Ward over the next five years. This is the program of all programs that is going to do it for the West Ward. It is led by a bona fide Urban Ecology Director and has a budget of over $700,000 to make it happen--all we have to do is show up at the meetings and find out how we can contribute our ideas, talents, advice, energy, connections and life experience to make our neighborhood all we know it can be. Other programs have fallen short in the past because they were all operating independently from one another, but this tie all existing community programs together while adding the talents and energy of new people and programming--and with a budget to support it!

Here are some of the key ideas discussed at the first meeting:

--Writing a Slum Lord Act and getting it passed at City Council that causes, as the Director, Igho Herbert puts it, "the polluters to pay." We are tired of slum lords polluting our ecology with blight and crime. The Slum Lord Act that will close the response time window for slumlords who are cited for code violations, so that the process goes straight to fines and enforcement.

--Treating "street corridors" as "people moving corridors" that, rather than focusing only on cars in this oil crisis, incorporate good sidewalks w/shade trees for enjoyable walking, bike lanes, zip cars, buses, and trolleys (the WW at one time had 7 trolleys, so this is not new, we can do it again), and turning one way streets back into two-way to discourage speeding cars through our neighborhoods.

--Creating urban gardens can play in both unifying a community as well as providing a fresh food source. The director circulated a “Star Ledger” newspaper article showing a “spin farm” located in Newark, NJ. Residents can gain more insight on how to develop their own urban garden by viewing www.spinfarming.com . If Newark can do it, we certainly can!

--Developing more community programs for kids that give them a creative outlet and/or teach them about business to get them excited about their talents and potential before they can get sucked into gang culture out of idleness. Community gardens are one example of such programming. Another suggestion came from two young musicians who attended the meeting: setting up programming in their recording studio to teach interested kids how to make and record music.

The next meeting is set for Monday, October 27th (7pm). The meeting site will be the Open Bible Evangelical Church of God in Christ at 1412 Lehigh Street. Everyone present at the first meeting agreed to bring one or two people with them to the meeting. With 16 attendees at the first meeting, this should be about 32 - 48 people!

Some of the cantons do not yet have representation. That will change at the next meeting. As soon as I get an electronic version of the canton map from the WWNP, I'll find a way to post it on this blog so that you can all figure out what canton you live in : )

Take care everybody, put Oct. 27th on your calendar, and spread the word!

Noel