Hi Everybody,
Neighbors of Easton is under renovation: a new, improved and expanded blog will be coming your way at a date in the near future, and when it is ready, I will send out an email blast to let everybody know.
In the meantime, I have posted extra links to the home page (on the right) so that this can be your central location for getting news, contacting our elected officials, finding dates and agendas for City and County Council meetings, writing letters to the editor, contacting the police department, checking for community events, and connecting to other blogs. In addition to The Morning Call and Express Times on line, I recommend the Valley 610 Blog. (especially Michael Duck's articles) and Bernie O'Hare's Lehigh Valley Ramblings as sources of news worth checking on a daily basis to get the full scoop on what's happening in the West Ward, Easton, and the Lehigh Valley at large.
We currently have 130 West Ward neighbors on our list serv, and many other readers from other areas in the region out there, and we have some exciting progress going on. To catch up on what's been happening in the past year in our neighborhood, click "Older Posts" on the bottom of this page and scroll through any headlines that interest you.
The neighbors that participate on this blog come from all walks of life (except, perhaps, fabulously wealthy) but what we have in common is the desire to see the West Ward (and Easton) revitalized into the beautiful neighborhood it can be. We are extremely proud of our 97% historic housing stock and the home-owners who have rehabbed many of our old homes to their rightful beauty.
We have met many times with the Mayor and City officials over the past year and a half, with the same message:
Neighbors of Easton is under renovation: a new, improved and expanded blog will be coming your way at a date in the near future, and when it is ready, I will send out an email blast to let everybody know.
In the meantime, I have posted extra links to the home page (on the right) so that this can be your central location for getting news, contacting our elected officials, finding dates and agendas for City and County Council meetings, writing letters to the editor, contacting the police department, checking for community events, and connecting to other blogs. In addition to The Morning Call and Express Times on line, I recommend the Valley 610 Blog. (especially Michael Duck's articles) and Bernie O'Hare's Lehigh Valley Ramblings as sources of news worth checking on a daily basis to get the full scoop on what's happening in the West Ward, Easton, and the Lehigh Valley at large.
We currently have 130 West Ward neighbors on our list serv, and many other readers from other areas in the region out there, and we have some exciting progress going on. To catch up on what's been happening in the past year in our neighborhood, click "Older Posts" on the bottom of this page and scroll through any headlines that interest you.
The neighbors that participate on this blog come from all walks of life (except, perhaps, fabulously wealthy) but what we have in common is the desire to see the West Ward (and Easton) revitalized into the beautiful neighborhood it can be. We are extremely proud of our 97% historic housing stock and the home-owners who have rehabbed many of our old homes to their rightful beauty.
We have met many times with the Mayor and City officials over the past year and a half, with the same message:
- We are urging the City to engaged in comprehensive, well-planned economic development in the West Ward, to attract the kinds of businesses that we need most--at the top of the list: a quality grocery store.
- We are fighting for code enforcement on slumlords--not good homeowners rehabbing their homes who are an easy and unfair target. We are also fighting for
- De-conversion incentives to reduce the percentage of renters (currently at 55%)
- Housing incentives for police officers to move to the West Ward and become part of our community, over wealthier neighborhoods like College Hill that are less challenged.
- We have been pressing for a comprehensive street cleaning program with opposite-side-of-the-street parking during work hours, so the cleaners can get to the curb without causing a parking problem, and
- We want a community-driven comprehensive strategic plan to reduce crime, like the ones that have been successful in Greensboro and Boston, reducing crime by 40% in 6 months. We are very grateful to our police officers and are working closely with them to pass on helpful information from residents to curtail crime in our area. By implementing a more comprehensive plan that includes, rehab, work training, community outreach, counseling and youth programs, we will be able to reduce crime, rather than increasing arrests and expanding our jails.
- To take advantage of new stimulus funding available to bring back passenger rail to the Lehigh Valley--preferably high-speed rail.
- For County Council to approve County Executive Stoffa's plans to a) move the jail to Gracedale, rather than expanding in the heart of our neighborhood, and b) to move forward on the proposed rehab facility on the outskirts of Bethlehem as the West Ward and Easton have carried too much of the burden for crime in the Lehigh Valley for far too long.
- And for our DA Morganelli to enforce seizures of properties that have had multiple arrests as provided by law, regardless of property value.
- We will likewise need the County and the DA on board with the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to reduce crime
The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership is developing its own web site soon, and when the link is ready, I will post it. In the meantime, Weed & Seed has begun a new web site for announcing community events RESTORE WW web site which is also posted at the top right on this home page. For events city-wide, Laini's Easton Facebook Page has over 2000 members, and is full of the goings-on.
As for City Council meetings, click the link for "City of Easton" at the bottom right of this home page, then click "City Government" then "City Council Agenda/Minutes" and you will find links to schedules (every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 6pm at City Hall by Crayola), agendas, and pending legislation that will be voted on at the meetings.
As for City Council meetings, click the link for "City of Easton" at the bottom right of this home page, then click "City Government" then "City Council Agenda/Minutes" and you will find links to schedules (every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 6pm at City Hall by Crayola), agendas, and pending legislation that will be voted on at the meetings.
I want to thank everyone who has supported the blog by posting comments along the way, including all those who disagree with me (the Mayor included) as a healthy blog is one that encourages earnest debate!
I leave you for now with two articles on two bits of progress we have made, by Michael Duck, who has given our neighborhood's issues steady coverage along the way--please support the Valley 610 Blog by posting comments, so that we continue to have coverage:
I leave you for now with two articles on two bits of progress we have made, by Michael Duck, who has given our neighborhood's issues steady coverage along the way--please support the Valley 610 Blog by posting comments, so that we continue to have coverage:
Morning Call's Valley 610 Blog Article by Michael Duck on Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Crime Proposed by Citizens at the City Council Meeting
Morning Call's Valley 610 Blog Article by Michael Duck on Street Sweeping Progress
Morning Call's Valley 610 Blog Article by Michael Duck on Street Sweeping Progress
Take good care, and hopefully I will see you all at City and County Council meetings soon--feel free to post comments here as well in the meantime!
Yours,
Noel Jones
Posts
7 comments:
For those who have been wondering where drug money goes when it is seized, here is an ET article from today on the County's explanation: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2009/09/northampton_county_drug_forfei.html#more
It would be nice to see a similar article on what the City does with seized drug money--why can't the money seized from drug dealers go into development of a more comprehensive strategic plan for reducing open-air drug markets, rather than right back into the enforcement-only model that has not been working?
by the way--don't forget about the garden party in the community garden on 5th & ferry this saturday at 4pm--see you there!
In response to Dennis, Peter, Terrence, Theresa and Laura on the last post:
Before I espouse here, I will pre-emptively insert the disclaimer that none of what I'm about to say is deduced of my own brilliance, but from talking to literally hundreds of people in Easton over the last two years, old-timers and new-comers alike, who have been generous enough to share their experiences and knowledge with me:
The problem in Easton appears to be that we are in the poverty business. The City and our nonprofits orgs run on the grant money that we can pull in by being a low-moderate income populace with a crime problem. So for the West Ward and Easton to actually succeed in revitalization, would mean the end to orgs like CACLV/WWNP and Weed & Seed and nobody wants to become obsolete and lose their job. It would also mean that the City would be no longer be able to draw all that grant money down each year and would be forced to actually do the work of find more creative revenue streams.
So the name of the game is always showing a very small amount of progress, without showing too much progress, so that the grants keep coming in.
This means that as long as those in power in Easton can live in nice homes in nice areas, they have no incentive to revitalize the West Ward, because it is the conditions where we live that keep the gravy train coming in.
There will be no transformative change in the West Ward until we make it happen ourselves. The citizen-driven comprehensive strategic plan to reduce open-air drug markets is an example of that. The City has got to learn that they no longer have the option of ignoring us. They can either get on board, or get voted out. We elect them, and we pay them. It's time to start paying close attention to what our elected officials are doing and not doing, and then vote accordingly if we want to get out of the poverty business forever.
It is absolutely within our power to do so. If even 1/6 the 69% of registered voters who voted in the presidential election were to vote in the local election, we would have an entirely different City Council of our choosing. But we need residents willing to run for office, willing to attend City Council meetings to keep track of what's going on, and willing to work to get out the vote at election time. It is all quite possible, all it requires is political will of the people. We have to stop thinking, "there's no point in speaking up--they never listen" and say instead, "speaking up IS the point, and they HAVE to listen."
Noel,
first off, let me say I'm glad I stubled on your blog. I'll be watching with great interest.
next, I agree w/ your points and points made by others. I and my family have been living in the West Ward for about 14 years now. we deconverted a 2 family and have been renovating it ever since. in all these years, I was never aware of when counsel meetings were, or where. Easton has never done a very good job of keeping people informed (by design?)I have read about the weed&seed program and have gorwn tired of its waste and purposelessness; really, they seem more interested in forming teams and aconyms than actually getting anything done. they are a failure as far as I'm concerned. I've been a homeowner here for 14 years and I've never met any of them or known anything about their meetings or plans, so, to me, they haven't tried to engage homeowners, the people who care about this city.
improving the city has nothing to do w/ flower boxes or murals. you can install all the new sidewalks you want, but if you don't ged rid of the low rent criminals, you cannot make a change.
Up until recently, I had a neighbor who by all appearances was selling drugs out of his house. I called the Mayors 'hotline' w/ info a few times. didn't see a change. last summer was bad on my block for mobile drug deals.
IMO, if the city doesn't go after the slumlords who rent to the drug dealers, or if the landlords don't strictly enforce some sort of occupant limits, no improvement is possible. the triple homicide on 13th should have been a wake up call; that landlord should have been brought up on charges. I bet he had no idea who was living/residing in that place.
my last point is about my direct experience w/ trying to get something done:
almost EVERY corner, and at the halfway point on EVERY block, there is a street lamp in the West Ward. That's a good thing, not as many places to hide in the dark. but for YEARS now, there is no light at N 7th and Sassafrass st. the middle of N7th between bushkill and Spring Garden is PITCH BLACK at night.
th dude I spoke w/ at city hall, don't remember who, said "we don't fill individual requests". I said it's not a request, it's just asking the city to abide by their OWN standards of street lamp placement! I've made calls and sent emails and have gotten nowhere.
anyway, I'm determined to try to fit a city counsel mtg into my schedule soon. in the meantime, I'll watch Lafayette get whatever they want, I'll admire the new sidewalks on N'hampton, all the while the inner streets get ignored. at least I know MY house is kept up while the neighborhood falls down around it.
and, if you haven't already, check out my blog, uglyeaston. thanks.
thanks for posting--while i applaud your efforts to contribute to the community via blogging (believe me, i know how much behind-the-scenes work it is to maintain alone) the title is unfortunate, as it reinforces a stigma on the neighborhood. how about itcouldbebeautiful or rehabbersunite or herecomespoliticawill? my point is that, after checking your blog, you seem to genuinely care about the neighborhood and share the same frustrations as neighbors on this blog, but by focusing only on the negative, the negative is reinforced. how about posting a balance of some photos of the Victorians that homeowners have worked tirelessly and still work tirelessly on, to show the good examples of how beautiful parts of the neighborhood are and how beautiful the whole neighborhood could be? by the way--i haven't figured out how to post photos inside the articles yet, and i noticed that you're using blogspot--i am challenged when it comes to anything on computers--it's miracle i run a blog at all. that's why a New & Improved blog is coming the neighborhood's way soon--but i'm curious in the meantime as to how you do it...
I found posting pictures to be as easy as posting text, really. blogspot just walks you through it. just click on add a picture.
I see your point about my blog; I was looking for a in-your-face approach to get noticed. yes, it would be nice to focus on the pretty things, but isn't that how the WW got ignored to begin with? all the focus is on downtown and facade grants, while out-of-town slumlords are allowed to exploit the less affluent.
I got part of my idea from Old House Journal, which has a back page feature entitled 'remuddling'. they compare a bad house to a proper home.
'ugly' is really in the eye of the beholder anyway. I imagine if anyone actually ever sees my pictures the potential is that I'll get somebody mad.
maybe I should have called it the ugly OF easton ( I also thought of eastonugly, like that NY bar, coyote ugly).
anyway, I do plan on including pretty homes (of which there are plenty). I'm only updating about once a month or so, we'll see how it goes. (your house is very nice, btw; if I get up the courage, I might post a picture of mine, although if you read my stuff, you might figure it out!)
i tried to figure out what you meant under "Settings" and "Layout" and then just realized that it's the tiny icon of a photo in the new post window itself--doh! all the more to look forward to in the new & improved blog to come! : )
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