Butler's High Ridge

Block Watch Party a great success!!!

Nov 12, 2000

The weather played a factor being a little chilly but 24 people did come out to talk about crime prevention, the neighborhood needs and successes, eat hot dogs, and meet our invited guests.

City Health Dept Commissioner Bill Myers toured the neighborhood (on foot) with 3 of the residents and then returned to listen at length about concerns. Our focus was largely on the vacant properties here that are not being taken care of. Neighbors are often forced to care for the lawns and appearance of the vacant homes as well as protect them from crime while the owners ignore them. 1 vacant house will likely be reported by Mr. Myers to the Fire Inspectors for being so full of junk that it's actually pushing the windows out from the inside.
There was some concern for bad and hanging gutters. With winter coming and bringing an abundance of weight from snow and ice, and then water from the melting, the gutters could easily be ineffective or even drop into the side of a neighbors house.
We also expressed concerns about trash dumping and weeds along the alleys and again at the vacant properties.
Needless to say...Mr. Myers took a lot of notes. :) He then took a tour by himself before he left.
He is a real nice man, very caring, and the neighbors liked him very much. I'm glad Mayor Coleman asked him to visit with us. I think he will help us get some things done.

State House Rep Candidate Bart Hacker was here most of the day enjoying the neighbors. He wasn't campaigning either. He was truly just having a good time.
I don't take political positions with the neighbors. I do encourage them though to meet candidates and make good decisions. They like Bart and win or lose he has become our friend.

3 Officers of the CPD Strategic Response Bureau came and enjoyed the morning and our guest as well. They reviewed the house address on my roof and discussed again how important visible addresses are to them and other emergency services.
2 of the Officers couldn't stay long but Officer Norm Russell was here most of the day.

We had several people here ready to clean the trash up from the alley but the weather was just too nippy for it. We will get it next spring though. Promise!

I have a few pictures of the party and will get them developed Monday 10/30/00.

The medias did not come. Too bad. I think it's critical that the active neighborhoods get positive attention particularly in crime prevention and improvement efforts. Even more so when they are trying to do it themselves and not be a burden to the city funding.
Bill Myers was really impressed with our successes toward educating the residents here before we started improvements and said it was similar to the program the Health Dept has. He is going to send me info on their programs but said since we are already doing it (and he laughed) we probably don't need it.
He gave me several pieces of other info : 101 ways of making Columbus the Healthiest City in America, the 1999 Annual report, and a Directory of Services.

The extra junk food and pop went to the 8th pct substation at Whitethorne and Sullivant. Since the party was about crime prevention and the Blockwatch group it was appropriate. We couldn't do it without the Police efforts. I'm sure the Officers appreciated our thinking of them.

Overall...though we didn't break any attendance records I think we got some much needed attention toward some things that need improved and we had a good time!

Quality not quantity. :)