6:00 p.m
HOME Loan Project
Boys & Girls Club of Easton Teen Center
1101 Northampton Street
(Detailed info on this meeting is below)
7:00 p.m.
Safety Committee Meeting w/Lt. Remaley and Weed & Seed
Salvation Army (right across the street from the first meeting)
1110 Northampton Street
(Residents will discuss w/Lt. Remaley the recent emergence of the Hoover Crips and other crime issues--Lt. Remaley has invited us, so this is our chance to share observations and figure out together with the EPD how best to communicate information when we have tips for them. If you have a specific crime issue in your canton, this is your opportunity to share it with other residents and the Easton Police Department)
Below is an invitation from Gary Bertsch, Director of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, for the HOME Loan Project Meeting:
West Ward Residents:
You Are Invited To a Public Meeting to Voice Your Opinion About Northampton County’s application to the state for $500,000 to rehabilitate homes in your community
Northampton County intends to purchase dilapidated homes, in the West Ward, rehabilitate to green, sustainable, and historic standards, and sell to eligible homeowners at affordable prices.
IT’S YOUR WEST WARD! IT’S YOUR TAX DOLLARS!
To learn more, read the proposal, and let your voice be heard, attend this important meeting:
Boys and Girls Club Teen Center
11th and Northampton Streets
Thursday, August 27, 6:00 PM
Questions? Call Gary Bertsch at WWNP: 610-515-0891
Northampton County is applying for funding to PA Department of Community and Economic Development on behalf of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership and the Lehigh Valley Community Land Trust, programs of Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley.
Posts
2 comments:
In at least 'Emailgate' reveals the need for City Hall to have a plan to disseminate information to the public and raises the bar to the fair and reasonable expectation of residents to be properly informed of criminal activity as it emerges. As we have witnessed, whenever multiple entities, out of coordination with each other, try to control a message, the message gets out of control.
We cannot rely upon single-sourced stories from our media bureaus for accurate or comprehensive information. Indeed we cannot rely on any single source, for the propensity for bias always exists. The product of any public relations response, as defined by Theresa Miller, PR executive, should be the ‘truth.' Otherwise, credibility is lost and trust is compromised.
Why not then share accumulated information, contributed by multiple sources, in the context of a philosophy of disseminating accurate and truthful information to the public while being sensitive to broad public interest? It seems that such an approach would go a long way in nodding to the needs of the EPD, business community, the Mayor’s office, our youth and the rest of our residents. Otherwise, as we have witnessed, ‘poor communication will always result in failed expectations.’
When I chaired the task force we had ‘ad hoc’ meetings around issues as they arose. In those meetings were affected parties, often including members of community organizations, Children & Youth, the School District, parents, Task Force and EPD—as well as Chief Palmer and Lt. Remaley. By managing through each other’s expectations and being sensitive to information-sharing parameters, we were able to contain and defuse particular situations and improve inter-agency policies and procedures. To that end Chief Palmer was an incredible advocate not only for such cooperation, he was tenacious at finding alternatives to arrest for our younger charges.
Nevertheless, residents have the right to share information without anyone’s approval. More so, we have the responsibility to empower ourselves, with the knowledge-tools to address crime in our neighborhoods, for we are the ‘first line of defense’ not the police. We must consider ourselves ‘first responders’ in keeping our streets safe. To be clear I am not advocating any form of vigilantism, I am however echoing the call by residents and police to continue to be vigilant. The best form of citizen vigilance is born out of a well-informed resident who can make wise decisions based on objective knowledge of approaches to crime and related activity.
I for one believe that government has the burden to provide the full scope of information about proposals affecting citizenry—a bigger topic and best to be shared on a different post. In at least though, lack of information and knowledge has led to many myths about crime and successful reduction. As residents we must ‘arm’ ourselves with knowledge and test what is presented to us against proper research, what has worked successfully for similar communities and accurate statistics.
The safety committee meeting on Thursday presents the opportunity for West Ward residents to learn about the dynamics and sensitivities the EPD has to manage, along with sharing our expectations of being well-informed of emerging criminal activity. I have found, as no doubt many of you have, Lt. Remaley to be deeply concerned about residents in the West Ward and a consummate and professional police officer. Disagreeing with police tactics, strategies or policies is not a pejorative statement about the EPD or the Mayor, it is a necessary collision of ideas, knowledge and experience that can result in positive change for community. We the people, police, Mayor's administration and City Council, are in a common arena, facing a common challenge.
If motivated by public justice, mutual respect and in many ways submission is primary to achieve a healthy and 'clean & safe' city.
I would encourage residents who are able to attend.
Thanks, Terrence. I agree, Lt. Remaley and Chief Palmer have always been professional and positive in my interactions with them throughout the year. I think this recent flurry of communications has put some additional pressure on the EPD and I'm hoping that residents will make it out to the Safety Committee Meeting at the Salvation Army on Thursday, so that we can talk together with the EPD about how best to act on the information that we have, and coordinate with the EPD in a way that is truly helpful.
Thanks for posting!
Post a Comment