Anyone interested in improving their neighborhoods is welcome to come for some face-to-face dialogue at an Action Forum this Saturday, May 30, from 8:30 am to noon at George Mason University’s Prince William Campus. City Council member Steve Randolph will be one of our speakers. It’s free, but to register, and for more details, go to www.pwsc.org
Check this out: (Joe Budzinski of www.novatownhall.com and Help Save Loudoun) has found common ground with two other Loudoun citizens from different points of view on the immigration debate (Ricardo Cabellos-Reyes and Ben Kelahan) to launch a “Neighborhood Listens” project two weeks ago. The project focuses on direct, informal communication between diverse neighbors to meet mutual goals of safe, clean neighborhoods.
http://novatownhall.com/2009/05/14/neighborhood-listens-project-just-launched/
http://leesburg2day.com/articles/2009/05/25/news/fp181agreement052109.txt
What do you think?
I think you are wonderful. 🙂
Cindy, I agree with Alanna. I take my hat off to you, Chris and all the others who have made sure these community meetings have taken place. I know they have not been without controversy.
communication, that’s what life boils down to! Thanks for posting this Cindy!
People who attempt to find common ground will be the true communicators and those who seek solutions. They are the uniters, not the dividers.
You all ROCK!
I’m sure the forum will be a huge success. Look forward to reading about the results.
Good for Mr. Budzinksi. This a move in the right direction.
I’ve participated in three circles and facilitated two circles..and the one thing that I’ve seen consistantly is that all care about our community. I think all of those that took the time to participate and be a part of finding common ground and working together for a common goal are to be applauded. It is a 6 week committment, and everyone took the circles seriously.
I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow. Oops, I guess that’s later this morning now.
Hey, any feedback? Maybe no one went after all! Where is all the good that came from the get together? What actions were suggested? Anything? I’m starting to see taco trucks again, so please tell me how to deal with the flashback other than another Resolution since everyone states it could have been handled differently.
El Segundo-
Maybe, you need to brush up on your reading skills. The Action Forum is THIS morning! You are welcome to attend. It’s open to the public. Why not join us and ask for yourself. Why come a postive thread and say something as smart a$$ as your opening lines in your post. Where’s your respect this morning? Or do you just have to rag on something just because you didn’t participate. geesh.
Will read responses this evening, heading north.
No Chris, it’s just that I have to leave also, and so I wanted to get my post in before everyone gets back from the meeting, but I am starting to see taco trucks again.
Ok SA-
I’m glad to hear you’re just rushed to head north. I do find your posts to be respectful compared to many. It’s always impressed me.
Where are you seeing them? On the road, in yards, selling tacos what. I will post later this afternoon.
Have a safe and pleasant trip!
SA, what’s wrong with seeing taco trucks? Portable kitchens go to job sites. My kid used to work on one.
I see the cute older man who had the hand pulled/pushed ice cream cart. That doesn’t bother me at all. He is very hard working.
Chris, I agree, SA is usually respectful.
MH,
The truck lettering was in Spanish just like the ones that congregated in Woodbridge at the peak of the taco truck invasion. Remember the county was discussing the issue of valid vendor licenses, and food safety? It was a growing concern, but the Resolution took care of that problem. Now I feel that those that left are slowly and steadily returning. Soon we may be back where we started. All it will take is several banks doling out the mortgage loans to those who can’t afford the payments. Instant replay!
MH,
Remember all the hard working street vendors that were located around the mall in DC? The issue wasn’t their immigration status, it was the fact that they were turning the center piece of our nation’s capital into an eyesore, so they found a way to remove them. If the same thing happens again in Woodbridge, then all will start screaming racism, and we’ll never get rid of the eyesore. BTW, the truck was heading south down 28 into Manassas.
Actually, someone in the circles (earlier, not at the forum) suggested working with drivers of food vendor trucks and making THEM the source of neighborhood news that you want to get out.
Residents may not be able to read flyers in English or Spanish, but they can talk with the vendor selling them food and get the latest information.
And if being the source of neighborhood news increases their business, vendors might be willing to relay other messages, like don’t litter your food wrappers, etc.
Thirty nine people attended the forum this morning and one reporter, David Sherfinski of the DC Examiner.
Lots of good, creative ideas at the forum – everything from Manassas St. Thomas Church’s plans to “adopt” Point of Woods and sponsor a relay race and landscaping projects to a tool drive that Trinity Episcopal Church is doing to supply real estate developer Cliff Barney with mowers, weeders, work gloves, etc. for youth in Georgetown South to earn money doing yard work this summer.
And, as one resident said at the forum, “The circles weren’t about resolving problems, they were about resolving attitudes.”
He shared a success story about how his neighborhood was able to take an ordinary community yard sale on a rain-soaked Saturday and turn it into an extraordinary event, just with the addition of some grilled hot dogs, baked cookies, face-painting, music and a clown.
The clown had all the children trailing her in her walk around the neighborhood — a better advertisement than any sign.
Now the neighborhood next to theirs is planning a similar event.
The future? We’ll see.
Maybe an e-newsletter that starts relaying neighborhood news.
Maybe more circles that lead up to each “Communicating with Our Residents” meeting that the Manassas City Council does, taking their City Council meetings on the road to each neighborhood once a year.
Who knows.
We have a mayor who spent the night in a shelter. Anything’s possible when you look at things in a different way.
Cindy B,
Some how they all seem to get the news. Even without the internet or other sophisticated means they all seem to be on the same page. They move as though they were one organism. If there is a way around the system, then they’ll all know about it. The house keepers at the hospitals ensure the newly arrived tax payer supported non-paying expectant mothers know all the angles. It’s an underground universe of street smarts that is no less impressive than the above ground doctorate.
Why do I have this picture of hysterical people running from “The Blob” in that 50s sci-fi? Sorry I posted now.
The circles and the meeting today were never expected to be
a magic pill for the various ailments of area neighborhoods,
but they were a move in the right direction. I have far more
respect for people who actually get out and attempt to do
something for their community, than those who just slouch around
at home coughing up gripes on the net.
SA, [stern look] Do you always rain on parades?
Thanks Cindy for your postive report. Any place where people can find common ground is a big plus.
SA, I don’t know how the resolution controlled the taco trucks. pLease fill me in. I never knew that was addressed. And why isnt it still working?
MH,
All I know is that the issue of taco trucks dried up as the owners must have left town after the Resolution. As a matter of fact most complaints that were being lodged before the Resolution died down, and were replaced by complaints over vacant houses. Quite a connection wouldn’t you admit?
‘Common ground’ usually exists in the areas of unimportance to groups of differing opinions. It’s the uncommon ground that formed the two groups in the first place, so I don’t place much importance in finding common ground, but only in finding agreeable solutions to the major differences.
SA-
I would hardly calling common ground of wanting a safe and clean community an area of little importance.
I see you made your trek back north safely. I feel sorry for anyone going north unless they are headed to PWC. 😉
You must have been one of the 10,000 R’s in Richmond. lol
SecondAlamo,
But yet, you vehemently object, when we suggest there might be a connection with the real estate market and the Resolution?
In my opinion, this new wave of immigrants is no different from those of generation pasts. They have come for the opportunity.
Thanks too to Chris. I know it has been a lot of work for everyone involved. I’m glad there was good turnout and I look foward to the write-up in the Examiner.
Ok, so what were the action items or suggestions that came out of the meeting. I would think that the details would be listed here asap to reinforce the usefulness of the meetings. Were both sides of the issue present or were people preaching to the chore? The want of a safe and clean community is partially what caused the uproar over illegal immigrants in the first place. No disagreement there, but the supporters of the illegals ignored those concerns and only focused on the needs of the illegal immigrants to the detriment of the existing community. That, in part, is what caused all the friction.
SA, I don’t think that is how it worked. It was more the discovery approach. Perhaps Cindy or Chris will come here and give a general overview of how it worked.
Let’s go back to those taco trucks. I still don’t get what you are talking about. Do you object to them in neighborhoods or at construction sites? I don’t want ANY work related truck in a neighborhood. Leave all trucks at the worksite. I am totally unreasonable on this subject. I don’t care what it says on the side, I don’t want it in the neighborhood.
Poor Richard, I agree. My hat is off to everyone who particiated. 2 hats off to Cindy and Chris.
SA-
Good morning! With all due respect..Cindy did post some action ideas. I can’t say people were preaching to the choir. Common ground and goals had already been established before yesterday. People met to continue the work and build on the work that had already been started as a result of the original circle. I’ll update you in a few on the Action Idea from the group I was with and what plan to do here in WestGate.
Hi Chris,
WestGate was hard hit I understand, and so I’m sure you are looking for the right type of solutions, since what was taking place there was completely unacceptable from what’s been posted in the past. Good luck on finding a ‘Constitutional’ way of preventing the overcrowding issue from rearing it’s ugly head. Can zoning really have any control? Manassas got slammed trying to prevent overcrowding. Is it your impression that people are slowly creeping back in?
SA-
I’m sure you saw my pictures and it was unacceptable and some unihabtiable houses as a result of the trashing of the houses. We’ll never find a “Constitional” way of preventing overcrowding. Especially, when all’s you have to do is say we are ALL related.
I will speak to my block as you well know 12 out of 30 houses were vacant. When those 12 foreclosures got bought up it was only single families that moved in. However, we had the police here a about a week ago. Some kind of fuss over a door being locked. Everyone cleared out in the middle of the night a couple of nights after the police were there. Then they returned today not sure what they were doing, but they were not able to get in the house.
I did just do a quick “field trip” of WestGate. Overall, it looks a heck of lot better than it did 2years ago. With that being said I will say there’s still a fair amount of work to do. I think first and foremost we need to educate the residents of what the zoning ordinances are. Now, I know not everyone wants to follow the rules. However, getting the information out to the residents is move in the right direction.
Hopefully you’ll be able to translate the zoning ordinances into Spanish with more clarity than NCLR translates ‘La Raza’ into English. Playing on simple words has become a national pastime in some circles. It’s no wonder legal cases drag on for so long. Every word is given new meaning, and “you misunderstood what I said” is the quote of the day. Just ask judge Sotomayor.
SA-
Hahaha the county has already done the translations. ;
The Zoning booklets are in both in English & Spanish.
They have the following issues
1)Weeds & Tall grass
2)Trash/Debris/Outside Storage
3)Overcrowding
4)Vehicles
5)Home Based Businesses
6)Planning Home Improvements
We left out one category of people, those that are illiterate and can’t read period. Hopefully the booklet has illustrations. Everybody understands pictures. Anything about growing corn in the front yard? ; ]
You are just being a jerk today.
I have planted vegetables in my front yard. Is that against the law?
The zoning book has pictures. They are in English and Spanish. The white ones behind me probably needed those.
You can always count at least one person to come along and be negative. I’m really surprised at who was for this thread. Mackie’s always at the top of my “negative nelly” list…not SA. Oh well, I tried. Sometimes people just have to get out there, pick up the phone, email or research for themselves. The answers always aren’t just served up on a silver platter. I’m about done with this thread…too bad it should’ve be positive and informative.
🙁
Funny Alanna, that’s exactly how people felt about those who were growing corn in their front yards. It was an attempt at humor. Notice the ; ] at the end. Oh well, I guess using painful facts aren’t funny to some. The comment about illiterates was an honest comment. My daughter has told me of those having babies in the hospital that can’t even read Spanish as they are illiterate, and the difficulty in communicating with them.
MH, low lying vegetables probably wouldn’t be an eyesore, but 7 foot tall corn stalks are a different case. It’s a matter of appearances don’t you know. I have to admit though the corn probably looks better than a junker on cinder blocks!
I think if you didn’t attend the events, didn’t read anything by people who were there, didn’t read anything more on the event than you have here, or have no direct experience with those involved in the events, you don’t have the rational right to criticize it.
If you’re not going to be part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
Chris, kudos to you and Cindy and everyone else for being part of the solution.
Related event:
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/manassas/article/wildwood_condos_3rd_community_cleanup_draws_40/36652/
Great article Pinko. Leon’s working with Georgetown South’s webmaster to set up his new communication over at Wildwood — and they made the connection in the neighborhood improvement circles.
One thing I’ve learned from Kisha at the City — don’t waste time on naysayers and energy drainers. Take Leon’s example and keep pushing ahead. What a great idea, putting in sweat equity to cut your condo does.
Give me corn any old day!! I had to plant in the front yard because of dogs doing nefarious things to vegetables in the back yard. Corn might hide an old clunker on cinder blocks.
I never actually saw corn in front yards. Not sure you could plant enough in the front yard to make much of a meal.
Link to David Sherfinski’s article in the DC Examiner on the Action Forum:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Pr-William-residents-create-plans-to-clean-up-community-46670637.html
From the Examiner article–
“We had everyone from Help Save Manassas to someone like me — an immigration lawyer — come together on this issue,” she said. “I think the [initiative] helped heal a lot of division — at least for the people who participated.”
WOW! That’s pretty amazing!
There’s a MAJOR mistake in the article regarding WestGate. WestGate has never had HOA!!!!! There’s plans for the Stonington Community who had particpant in the WestGate circle. Once I read that huge mistake I got too pissed to read further.
I have sent an email to David Sherfinski regarding the mistake. We have enough issues/problems with out people thinking we have an HOA here.
I heard back from David, and he was most appologized for the mistake. I really do appreciate his responding back to me…and most importantly being the only person from the media to cover the story. There may have others from the media that were there but I’m unaware of they were if they were there.
No other media, but I submitted the Bill’s photos and Lee’s speech to The Washington Post.
Good for you Cindy. Both gentlemen did a fantastic job.