Good-Bye Remarks for Amy Finnegan, Forum President

Remarks delivered by incoming Forum President Phyllis Slusher at outgoing President Amy Finnegans last Forum meeting, May 25, 2010.

As much as Amy Finnegan loves this neighborhood, she’d finally had it with some out-of-control neighbors --and bought a new home outside of College Hill.

In February, the College Hill Forum Board unanimously rejected Amy’s offered resignation and asked her to stay on through the end of her term.

Sadly, that’s tonight. When we lose Amy Finnegan, we lose a major contributor to this community. And we lose a Forum president who never lost her cool -- or her class --during her busy term as president.

Amy led us through a tough decision making process with the Episcopal Retirement Homes proposal for the Eastern Star property. She took a lot of slings and arrows on behalf of the Forum, but never returned fire.

Perhaps, in her finest hour, Amy convinced the owners of the Hillrise apartments to work with the CH community - after years of unsuccessful attempts to get the owners to respond. Amy organized the investigation which disclosed no workable plan to improve conditions for residents. She led the community campaign to keep Hillrise from being rewarded with government money -- and to hold Hillrise accountable for their failings – and for their bedbugs.

Instead of simply complaining about EZ Market, she went to the store to discuss our concerns with the owner and get him involved. She later worked with the CPOP committee to effect some major improvements there.

Amy founded our National Night Out celebration to honor our fire fighters and police officers. Every year, she only got the exhibitors, got the food, got the drinks, got the volunteers, got the band, made the fliers, did the marketing and made sure it always was a fun event that got College Hill on the news – in a good way!

Amy has walked with Citizens on Patrol, she’s cleaned up litter and trash at every clean-up, worked every Pumpkin Patch and every Rhythm Race. She’s taken every Garden Tour, shopped at Farm Market, patronized most every business on the Avenue and built relationships with state and local officials – and she’s done it all with energy and enthusiasm.

Please join me -- with energy and enthusiasm – as we say goodbye and thank you to Amy Finnegan.

The future of College Hill is being shaped by a small group. Want to join them?

The College Hill Ministerium (group of ministers who support Christ’s Community in College Hill) is sponsoring a series of strategic planning sessions to improve the economic and human relations climate in the community. Anyone with an interest in these areas may join. The group--which is diverse and includes a variety of business owners, concerned citizens, and civic leaders--is open to anyone who wishes to join, and meets every few weeks at the Recreation Center on Belmont. The next meeting is May 10, 7:00-9:00 pm.

The following shows the work the group has done so far, and where we’re going next. (Note: The items below are the perceptions of individuals in the group, not the consensus of the whole group. Our approach is to honor the perspective of each person; we will examine whether perspectives are “factual” or not when we go deeper into the planning process.)

Join us and help to shape the future of our community!

STEP 1: What sort of future do we want to create in College Hill? (Our “Objectives”)

• Different groups work together with an “Us” consciousness (not “We” and “Them”)
  • No anger or divisive expressions of concern across ethnic/racial groups in community
  • Make sure volunteers / Citizens on Patrol act to assist citizens and business owners, and are viewed positively by all groups
  • Common engagement and commitment by all groups to build the community
  • Accountability by all in building the community
  • Don’t give power for direction of the Ave to a small / limited group
    • Keep inviting me to meetings
    • Avoid rejection of business “types” that fit minority customer base
• Open communication and dialogue
  • Share honestly about what the issues are. (e.g. Why are authorities checking up on certain businesses?)
  • All members hear each others’ feeling and concerns.
  • Communications about economic, financial investments are shared among all groups
  • Stop incidents of MBEs (Minority Business Enterprises) being investigated / harassed, funding of infrastructure for MBE being delayed or scraped (e.g. parking lots), etc.
• Successful business community
  • Common vision
  • Diverse products, services, entertainment, goods offered to customers
  • Develop all areas of the Ave community equally / fairly
  • Provide mutual opportunities to build businesses (e.g. Invite me to your store opening so I can make contacts, I can promote my offerings, and I can learn about your place to promote it to my customers, etc.)

• Help “young guys on the corner” get jobs: Employment.
  • Hire local skilled people for projects in the community (instead of outsiders)
  • Jobs: Collect info on openings in District, offer to kids on the block
  • Job program that transfers “Ave” skills/trade into kids of CH.
  • Revive (continue) vocational programs at the high school

Step 2: How will we know when we’ve achieved our objective of…creating a successful business community? (Other objectives will be addressed in upcoming sessions.)

• We have all types of businesses, being visited by a diversity of customers
• Our businesses are making money
• Our businesses are being shopped by a customer base outside our community
• Our community has a positive image; it attracts others
• We have increased foot traffic, facilitated by places (e.g. a diversity of businesses) for customers to stop (e.g. parking) and shop
• We have fewer vacant storefronts
• We have a safe community
• Local youth are employed by local businesses (so that youth have jobs)
• Businesses work together to promote a positive atmosphere and shared clientele amongst themselves

Step 3: What does our community have to work with, and against? (# votes in parentheses)

Internal STRENGTHS we can leverage · Money / diversified incomes · Existing businesses / Award winning & unique · History / tradition · Home owners / good housing stock · People – diverse and willing to work together (1) · Good schools; being rebuilt & renovated · Job opportunities (2) · Youth & Elderly in community (4) · Pleasing facades · Size of Ave & College Hill · Community involvement & pride · Activities · Public services and areas (1) · Green space · Space for new businesses (3) · Streetscape · New firehouse (green bldg) · Active Citizens on Patrol; vols actively clean Ave · Opportunities for new development (8) · Opportunities for weekend entertainment · Area is central (20 mins to most other areas, 5 mins to interstate, central on bus line) (3) · Hamilton & N.Bend is 2nd busiest intersection in city · Community Center · Community organizations (CHCURC, CHBA, Forum, Gardens, CH Housing team) · Churches work well together

Internal WEAKNESSES we need to address · Poor atmosphere amongst businesses (2) · Business district too long · High poverty (1) · Empty / not well maintained storefronts / extremely visible vacant corners · Few businesses open at night / Need reasons to come out at night. · Need more parking · No common vision · No common view of good business practices (customer service, training, etc.) · Perception of crime (1) · Need more diversified involvement in community groups (3) · Not enough opps for youth (training, jobs, entertainment) · Role models for youth · Inadequate crosswalks · Bars on business windows · Loiterers · Jobs for adults · Existing communication within community groups does not reach outside of group (1) · Lack of communication (4) · Lack of understanding (4) · Lack of funding for new business and improvement (3) · Negative media coverage · Don’t know the truth about funding issues, façade program, city money, parking lot issue, flyers that are racially divisive (4) · Lack of knowledge of running a new biz

External OPPORTUNITIES we can leverage · Fill vacant spaces with viable new businesses (3) · Cross-promos (i.e. community night)(2) · City council support · Organize / better leverage active groups (i.e. CHURC, Ministerium, etc) · Stimulus money (i.e. community garden, contractors of schools)(2) · Expand types of restaurants (i.e. Italian, African, etc.)(1) · Define who we are as businesses & area (1) · Opportunities for children · Bargain rental / ownership prices for store areas property · Invest in your neighborhood (3) · Grocery store, hardware, etc. – variety of stores to be able to stay in your neighborhood to shop · More places for young people to go other than hanging out on the streets (1) · Role model to city (1) · Understand and Agree instead of fighting (2) · Interact with youth · Networking · Think outside the box · Learn from each other · Create & engage in mutual pride in College Hill Community (2) · Attract people from other communities to live, play, work and do biz in CH (4) · Mentor, encourage and employ youth and other CH residents (1) · Marketing opportunity including current & future community events & assets (1) · Gain from other communities assets, e.g. from the Comet to the College Hill Coffee shop · All businesses and building owners clean up their act for the good of the community · Mend fences with each other

External THREATS we should consider · Perception of unsafe place (10) · Bad economy · Loitering of youth / adults (1) · Other areas are attracting more customers (1) · Trash · Drugs (2) · Guns (1) · Gangs (1) · Ignorance (1) · Business closing / foreclosures · Negative media attention (1) · Graffiti · Isolation by race (1) · Perception of excessive policing · Not working together to lobby for funds for the community · Racial tension (stereotyping, “all blacks are poor & whites are rich snobs, etc) · Generational tension · Cultural differences · Lack of support among biz owners · Feeling of hopelessness · Sense of entitlement & disrespect of others · Economic apartheid (2) · Inability to relate to another’s reality · Misjudgments, misconceptions (e.g. re contractors, local workers, etc) (2) · Anger · People are more threatened by [site than by] conversation (?)

Next Step: How can our community leverage our strengths and external opportunities, and overcome our weaknesses and external threats, to achieve each objective (e.g. creating a successful business community)?

Join us for this important next step!  The next meeting is May 10, 7:00-9:00 pm at the College Hill Recreation Center.