Co-Presidents Bob Breeze and Gary Penn presided over a full house as neighbors met to hear the news and plan the season's upcoming events.
Most pressing and first on the agenda was the upcoming alley cleanup.
Absentee landlord management is endangering one of Hyde Park's unique features -- the back-of-house solid waste service that allows us to keep our sidewalks free for joggers and strollers and not cluttered with trashcans.
The alleys are overgrown with vegetation, and the City, which has never been a fan of Hyde Park's unique situation, has made it clear that it will cease this service unless the alleys are cleared of the overgrowth.
The first round of volunteers, The Alley Cats, are meeting the weekend of September 14th to attack the alleys between 38th and 45th streets. The association had previously voted to release funds to allow The Alley Cats to supplement their ranks with help from the Day Laborer's site. This will be an ongoing effort and all area residents are urged to keep their alleyway free of limbs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Association approved the nominating committeeÕs proposal for officers for the upcoming year. This slate of officers will now be submitted for a vote to general body at the next HPNA meeting, scheduled for October 7th.
Nominations from the floor will also be welcome at that time. Nominees for the four officers are:
- Co-President Gary Penn
- Co-President Bruce Nadig
- Secretary Glen Coleman
- Treasurer Mike Capachiano
The Association was briefed on some events that have recently caused
concern in the neighborhood recently. On several occasions women jogging in
the early morning have been harassed by a driver. Former APD community liais
on Officer Andrew Dixon made a comeback appearance to brief neighbors
on the status of the situation and what to do when something of this nature
occurs.
Prevention is, of course, the best cure. Neighbors are encouraged not to
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jog alone and to vary their routes. Avoid dark streets and unlighted alleys and be alert to your environment. If an incident occurs, report it, preferably from a nearby business and not your home. Dixon went on to report that the alleged perpetrator has been contacted by the police and that an indictment arising from the incidents is pending in the County Attorney's office.
Neighbors then welcomed Rachel Wilson from the Victim Services
Department of the APD, who reminded those present that services are
available to anyone who has been the victim of a crime against their
person. Rachel may be contacted at 974-5439.
Co-President Gary Penn gave an update on the appeal of the Hyde Park Baptist site plans. Briefly, on the day before the Hyde Park Neighborhood Combining and Conservation District (NCCD) was adopted, the Hyde Park Baptist Church filed three site plans, one of which is for what is currently the Jacksonian Apartments. One result of such a filing might be to preserve for the church development rights existing on that day. To some observers, the site
