Weed & Seed Funding at Risk: Please Send a Letter to Rep. Freeman

Below is an article by Jeff Hawkes of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, on the recent Senate vote to eliminate Weed & Seed funding. Actually, the funding being eliminated is also that for the Main Street Initiative Downtown, and the Elm Street Inititiative, which, according to Mayor Panto, accounts for approximately 25% of funding for the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership:

Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Article Re: Senate Bill 850 to Eliminate Funding for Weed & Seed and Other Revitalization Programs

Laura Accetta, Director of Weed & Seed is asking that we please write letters to Representative Bob Freeman, to vote YES on House Bill 1416, which opposes Senate Bill 850, and already passed in the Senate. You can do this quickly, right now, by clicking on the link below and email Rep. Freeman in his Harrisburg office. We don't know what date the House vote will be, but it could be any day now, so if you can write an email now, that would be a big help to save this funding for our neighborhood. Your email letters can be as short and simple as you like, just remember to ask him to please preserve Weed & Seeding Funding by voting YES on House Bill 1416. Here is a list of services that are threatened, which you can use as talking points:

*$120,000 in community policing efforts including:
1. Overtime money for saturation patrols addressing quality of life issues such as joint patrols with the Northampton County Sheriff's Dept. (primary objective of serving outstanding warrants in the West Ward)
2. Joint narcotics investigations resulting in increased arrests
3. Joint operations with the state police and Nothampton County probation to make surprise weekly visits
*$125,000 in community crime prevention and juvenile delinquency prevention including:
1. Summer nights program at Centennial Park
2. Family Development Research Program assisting pregnant and parenting teens at Easton High School to avoid drop out and go on to college
3. A Place for Us Program (Gang Prevention Innitiative) at Easton Middle School.
4. Safe Nights and Family nights at Paxinosa School.
5. Community Leadership Training
6. Summer School Scholarships
7.The ability to apply for any further federal stimulus funding to revitalize the West Ward through Weed & Seed innitiatives.

Here is the link to Rep. Bob Freeman's home page. To email him, on the link below and scroll down a little on the page once you're in, then click on the link that says "click here to contact member":

Link to Rep. Bob Freeman's Home Page (Complete with Email Link)

For those of you who were at the candidates forum last night and signed letters there, your letters will be delivered and you needn't write an email.

And, as always, please post your comments on this issue here!