Congratulations to Cindy B and Chris for procuring a meeting place for the first WestGate Neighborhood Improvement Circle. This will be the first of its kind in the County. City of Manassas Neighborhood Improvement Circles have been very successful.
The group will meet in the Hope Lutheran Church at the corner of Sudley Manor and Gardiner on Thursdays on the following dates:
, Thursdays, May 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Congratulations and thanks, ladies for all your hard work in this most important area. When you get neighbors together who care, things improve. This group will accept 15 participants from the Westgate area. Contact Cindy if you want to join.
Not sure what a Neighborhood Improvement Circle is? Leave your questions or comments here for Cindy or Chris. They can leave a response for you.
[ED: Cindy has informed me there were other county meetings. See her comment below. Sorry for relaying inaccurate info.]
Cindy or Chris,
What happens if you have more applicants than 15?
How will you let people in Westgate know about the Nieghborhood circles?
What happens if couples want to attend?
ARe people ever afraid to join the circles because of the contentous way your initial notice about these meetings was dealt with on another blog with a dark screen?
Good luck to both Chris and Cindy. They’re doing the tireless work and consensus building that should have been done by the BOCS prior to passing the Immigration Resolution.
Moon-
I don’t think it would a big deal if there more than 15. Now, if there was interest of 30 or more. I think we’d have to look at a second circle for WestGate in the fall.
The WestGate group will only meet for 4 weeks instead of the usual 6 weeks. There will be a forum May 30 for all the circles that have taken place since last fall in PWC. The WestGate group will be done the week of the Forum, and would invited to the forum too.
Couples are certainly welcome to attend. We also, encourage teens to join us. Also, you do not have to live in WestGate if you live in the WestGate area you are welcome, and are encouraged to join the circle.
We will have flyers up at a couple of local grocery stores in the WG area. We will also be hanging flyers on doors in WG and Sudley, along with some informational items from Neighborhood Services.
I don’t think people have been afraid to attend. It’s very important to point out the Nieghborhood Circles include varying opinions. Each group has different ground rules set by that group. I will say the one thing I’ve seen consistantly in the circles is confindentiality as a ground rule. This is key to getting people to speak freely.
I’ve now participated in two circles, trained for circles and facilitated two circles. I will say I’m very happy to say that I will be a participant for this last circle. My husband and daughter will participants too. I’ve done all of these alone. It will be a nice change to have my family with me.
Censored,
Thank you! How about a circle in your neck of the woods? 😉
Thanks Chris, that was informative. Let us know if you think of anything else.
Chris,
I just want to express again, my admiration for your dedication to these study circles. I have always said, the real way to create long lasting change is to provide a forum in which people can meet and talk openly abou their fears and concerns. Communicating seems like it should be so simple, and yet, I have found, good discussion are very difficult to achieve.
Elena,
Thank you, for your kind words. I would like to point out they are now called Neighborhood Improvement Circles. It really is amazing to see people having open discussions, and at the end some goals with an action plan. It’s already working.
Wildwood Condos. in the City of Manassas have accomplished several things from the circles already. Kudos to Leon Walker, he’s the president of the HOA. He’s got some really great things going on, and great residents in his community. There was an article in the Post a couple of months ago that included him. It’s an interesting read. I’ll try to find it.
Wow, thanks for the publicity! Actually this is the third circle in the county – one was held last Oct/Nov at GMU focusing on immigration and a second in Lindendale in February, which is now an action group focusing on neighborhood improvement in one cul-de-sac. There have been five circles in the city, and yes, we hope the action forum on May 30 at GMU is productive when all the circle participants come together. The Westgate circle already has five participants signed up through word of mouth – flyers are going out in the next few days.
Just want to stress two things. First, this is a pilot program, and second, members of the county’s Neighborhood Leaders Group are already doing great work around this district. The circles are just one more tool, using face-to-face dialogue, to work toward the common goal of cleaner, safer neighborhoods.