FeedGive ‘em Hell, LaVetta
January 30, 2006 in Local Tags: Jim Ardis, LaVetta Ricca, Old Town South, south side, state of the city, Word on the Street
Today’s Word on the Street column in the Journal Star takes a look at Mayor Jim Ardis’ ’state of the city” speech. Quite wisely, the column addresses the speech from the point of view of LaVetta Ricca, president of the Old Town South Neighborhood Association.
LaVetta is an Ardis supporter, but didn’t hesiate to point out some of the differences between the rhetoric of the speech and the reality she faces every day in Peoria’s troubled South Side:
While Ardis said “enforcement of various quality of life ordinances rose by 49 percent,” Ricca will tell you that “there are still houses that have been boarded up forever.”
And what about the crack house that Ardis, then a mayoral candidate, had a news conference outside of nearly a year ago?
“The feds were supposed to confiscate the house,” Ricca says. “They did send them away, but they’re back and it’s a drug house again.”
I often write about saving the East Bluff, where I grew up and until very recently, still lived. What I really was saying is that I didn’t want my neighborhood to become like the South Side.
Too many people write off the South Side. It’s just assumed that part of town will never, ever be the decent and safe place to live it once was, and that anyone foolish to think otherwise deserves to be disappointed.
But then there’s LaVetta who never stops fighting to make her neighbood better. She never stops agitating for action. She attends every single city council meeting. She often speaks during the public comment section during which she expresses frustrations at the snail-like pace of change, if there is in fact any change for the better at all.
But she never gives up.
When I hear groups from more well-to-do neighborhoods complain about issues that seem silly — like they saw someone scruffy-looking walk down their block and they are afarid for their lives,
, I think of LaVetta, who works twice as hard as anyone and who endures problems 10 times as severe.
Yet again and again, nothing really happens for the better on the South Side. And the city congratulates itself on getting rid of the scruffy-looking people on the North Side in North Peoria. Hrumph! If these people had to spend the night just once on West Garden, they would hide in the basement quaking with fear.
Why is this? Why is the South Side the recipient of so much hot air and so little action? It’s a question the voters in the 1st District need to ask themselves in about 3 1/2 years … and in the upcoming at-large races as well.
January 30th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
If someone wanted to run against Ardis, that ‘crack’ house would be center stage.
January 30th, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Bill,
I resent one of your last comments quite a bit and I think you miss the point with your post. First, we have not gotten rid of the crime here in the North End, yet. Second, if I stayed down there on the South End, which I have, I dont think I would be too afraid. You are falling into the same trap that others do in this situation. Just because the crime is not as rampant on the North End, doesnt make it any less important. In my humble opinion, you have to go with the Rudy Giuliani approach if you want to handle crime.
As far as the first district goes, you are right, WE (I too am in the first district) need some people with a pair to make some tough decisions and be a pain in the a$$ to local officials. Clyde is busy working his ‘deals’ and neglecting the basics. We wouldnt need tax schemes to get people to build in the area if its image wasnt so bad. It breaks my heart…I think its unacceptable, and have done more for my neighborhood as a pain in the a$$ to the city, landlords, et. al, then as an elected official.
The housing authority needs to kick it up a notch, and take people to task, improve their financial situation, and clean up their properties. If the city can shut down the Grandview, they sure as hell better start doing the same to these properties. Roger Johns is a hell of a nice guy, but it is my opinion that he has given up on stopping the crime, to the extent that his funds allow him. Maybe it is a way to get people fed up with it all, and demand more federal, state, and local funds to the Housing Authorities, I dont know, but it frustrates me.
Their is a First District Solutions committee, which should be called the South End Committee, as my side of Main is sparcely represented, and they have not been able to get much done. I congratulate them on the effort and the time that they are putting in to their projects, but when the city is telling the people that they are better off going to the private sector and asking for donations it is ridiculous. This is done rather than go to the city which can waste money left and right on projects in the growth cells and areas with ‘good’ demographics. The group is getting lip service from the city and will probably never realize change in their lifetime. What kills me is that the people in this group could probably move mountains if they werent tied to this boondoggle of a committee. (Again, I dont want to diminish what they have been working on, but they are getting strung along.) I firmly believe that light is what kills, not a bunch of talk in closed rooms. Thats why I write letters to the editor and try to get the ink.
As far as Ardis, I believe he needs some time, no one can turn the city around overnight, but he better get his a$$ to work! He has a good man in Stensigaard, who has been proactive and busting some balls. (Pardon my french). If they stay tough on crime, and heaven forbid, crack down a little more…who knows what could happen to the inner city…gasp…it could Revive!
Andres Diaz
January 30th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
a great deal of the city’s resources are spent out north. It must be far easier to promote and fund the building of new, shiny subdivisions vs. spending fewer dollars on refurbishing the older ones. the older neighborhoods and the crime riddled ones are well aware of the talk vs. the action. But to be fair, the change also has to come from the citizens. LaVetta and others work very hard to make things better for a vast majority of those who simply don’t care. It therefore becomes more that just the responsiblity of a few south side activitists (and other areas), but the job of the entire community to make things better. More police, more code enforcement can help, but not to the degree that a large crew of involved active citizens not afraid of a little hard work can accomplish. If there are resources to rebuild New Orleans, the south side should be an easy task. LaVetta and the rest of us need more than just your support, we need your manpower and expertise to make things better. So I challange those that read these articles and make comments to jump in and donate some time and effort to actually make a difference.
January 30th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Andres: Obviously, I’m not talking about the Near North Side when i’m talking about neighborhoods whose concerns receive more attention from the city. I should have said “North Peoria,” which I use to refer to everything north of War Memorial Drive. My apologies.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:21 am
My comments are blocked??? WTH??
February 6th, 2006 at 8:31 am
TO BE HONEST,WHEN YOU READ IN THE PAPER, HOW A LADY WAS VISTING A FRIEND AND WHILE SHE WAS THERE SOME THUGS CAME KNOCKING ON THE DOOR. THEY WE’RE LOOKING FOR A MAN WHO LIVED THERE AND IT’S COMFIRMED THE DISPUTE WAS OVER DRUGS. WHEN THE THUGS WE’RE TOLD HE WASN’T HOME. THEY BEGAN SHOOTING INTO THE HOME HITTING THE VISITING FRIEND IN THE HEAD. UNFORUNATLEY SHE DIED DAY’S LATER…AND YOU HAVE TO ASK WHY MORE PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO GET INVOLVED ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
LISTEN SOME OF THE THOSE CRIMINALS ON THE SOUTHSIDE AND BLUFF AREA’S ARE HARDENED CRIMINALS WHO HAVE NO FEAR OF THE POLICE AND IF YOU GET IN THE WAY OF THERE DRUG TRADE WHICH IN SOME CASES CAN BE LUCRATIVE YOU BETTER HAVE YOUR LIFE INSURANCE PAID UP.
February 6th, 2006 at 8:34 am
THE SOUTHSIDE IS RUN BY SEVERAL RUTHLESS DRUG GANGS AND IF YOU GET IN THEIR WAY…HOPE YOUR LIFE INSURANCE IS PAID.