Published: November 05, 2007 01:18 pm      

HIGGS: Improving the city, block by block

More about new block clubs this week as this seems to be catching on in the Gill Creek area. With the demolition of many homes in the Niagara Falls Redevelopment property area, some of these residents have moved to various parts of the city and many seem to be settling in this area. We are also finding that children living west of Portage Road are roaming around the Gill Creek Park area as there is no recreational place for them nearby. All of this brings about a change in the neighborhood.

With that in mind, we talked about the Falls Street Block Club and the Echota West Block Club a few weeks ago. Before my vacation, Roger and I met two times with some residents from the 32nd Street area. The first meeting was at Sen. Antoine Thompson’s Saturday breakfast back in August and then again on Sept. 13 at Gill Creek Park. This is a great group of residents some of whom have lived in this section for many years, plus a few who recently relocated there. Most of them live on Monroe Avenue and 32nd Street but one young couple on Livingston promised to recruit some of their neighbors. Their problems were the same things we hear almost everywhere we go: youth roaming in groups, garage break-ins, overgrown trees, graffiti and some drug activity. It seemed to be the time to step up and bring this under control before things spread like a cancer.

They agreed to meet occasionally with the Echota West Block Club to share speakers but will be self contained as far as their own problems. They had a joint meeting in October and another is planned for Nov. 15. They meet at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Portage Post at 407 Hyde Park Blvd. and anyone living in the Echota West area and on 32nd Street, Monroe, Orleans and Livingston avenues between 30th and 32nd street are welcome to attend future meetings. These two new block clubs can also team up with the Falls Street Block Club for summer events next year at Gill Creek Park. We look forward to a good relationship with this group of concerned citizens.

I am also working with a few good neighbors on Spruce Avenue who are interested in keeping their street safe and clean. This is a one block area between Main and Whirlpool with some beautiful, well-kept houses and a few that could use some “sprucing” up. We are going to work with the Inspections Department and Neighborhood Services to accomplish some action. The director of the Main Street Business And Professional Association, Zach Casale, recently purchased his first home there and he is looking forward to living between two nice ladies who I bet will keep him supplied with cookies. We will get a block club organized here shortly. It only takes a few interested residents to stand together to make a neighborhood a neighborhood again.

And on 21st Street, Roger and I met with a few neighbors who are experiencing the problems of living near a high crime area which has caused serious housing deterioration and yard condition problems. I hope the City Council is listening to these citizens who want housing defects and litter in the streets and alleys addressed. The city is short on staff and cannot keep up with the problems. It will soon be time to vote on the budget for next year and perhaps some additional staffing can be included at least on a temporary basis to tackle some of these problems.

Stories have already been written about the city’s response to the new block club in the Echota District. These residents enjoyed a blitz in their neighborhood which resulted in tree trimming, sidewalk repair and some replacement and general attention to other matters including a renewed police presence. Additional sidewalk work has been scheduled for 2008 to complete the job. This worked well as it was a multiple block area where city equipment could be concentrated. Remember the days of the “clean team?” We had this one year where an entire neighborhood was targeted for housing inspections, clean neighborhood efforts and tree trimming and sidewalk and street repairs. I believe the Police Department was also involved. As I recall it made a huge impact in a small area which is better than the scattered attempts to take care of everybody and only half of it gets done.

Anyone interested in organizing a block club can call me at 282-3599 and Roger and I will make the time to get you started. Speaking of Roger, he tells me he is just about finished with his graffiti removal program for the season. Let me know now if you have a location that needs attention.

Reminder — tomorrow is election day and polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Get out there and VOTE!

Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.