In The News

from The Telegraph
July 22, 2007

Community center reopens

By LINDA N. WELLER
The Telegraph

ALTON - A celebration of the grand reopening of a neighborhood community center Tuesday quickly turned to serious business, as some of the 42 people in attendance began describing problems on their streets.

After a quick ribbon­cutting ceremony that drew several officials, a 64-year-old neighborhood woman said: she "still is hot" because someone stole her central air conditioner the previous week.

She also said people living next-door to her rental property on Central Avenue throw toilet waste out their window toward her house.

A 76-year-old man said people have threatened his life for being active in a Neighborhood Watch program. He vowed the people would not "run me off Central" unless they shoot and kill him.

"Why is this happening in our city?" he asked.

Capt. Scott Waldrup of the Alton Police Department stressed that people need to report such incidents to police because they will respond to the calls.

Discussion continued into tlie evening at the Weed and Seed. neighbor- hood problem-solving group's monthly meeting at the newly reopened Ridge Street Community Center/Safe Haven, at the corner of Sixth and Ridge streets.

Years ago, the facility served as the Alton Police Department's substation. It subsequently changed owners and has undergone refurbishment. The city repaved sidewalks outside the center.

The city, along with the now-independent Weed and Seed neighborhood revitalization strategy and the Police Department, is leasing the space for two years for $6,000. The lease ends March 31,2009.

The Police Department pays its utilities.

"For now, Weed and Seed will use it for the Ne!ghborhood Watch Meetings once or twice a month, usually on Tuesdays, and our Neighborhood Restoration/ Community Policing Subcommittee will meet there once a month," usually on a Monday at 5:30 p.m.;" said Weed and Seed site coordinator Bruce Bertolino.

"I've been with Weed and Seed for four years, and I've been talking about the center for about that long," Bertolino said.

The meetings are for people living or having businesses in the three, inner-city neighborhoods of Mexico, Middletown and Hunterstown.

The city ended its stint as a federally funded program, and Alton is continuing to pay Bertolino's salary and other expenses to continue the effort to "weed" out crime and negative influences and plant positive "seeds" to revitalize neighborhoods.

Without restrictions from the U.S. Department of Justice, which previously provided. funding, the city can expand its program outside the three neighborhood boundaries.

The Police Department also will use the building for community policing efforts once again.

“The police will man it on a part-time basis, so people can fill out complaint forms and use the telephone to make anonymous calls (tips to police) while cadets are here," Police Chief Chris Sullivan said. "We recently started doing foot patrols in the neighborhoods. It is important people let us know what is going on and fill out complafnt forms so we can concentrate on 'hot spots.' We will probably operate patrols out of here, and maybe resume bike patrols in the fall - most certainly next year. We are committed to keeping this facility open."

linda_weller@thetelegraph.com

Alton Weed & Seed Strategy
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