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Woman works for association's revival

By PAUL SWIDER
Published May 7, 2006

"I felt bad, but I just never had the time," she said. Now, she's working to revive the association and bring the neighborhood together again.

"It's not just gangs or speed bumps," she said. "These things can be resolved if people feel more neighborly."

Gish held a reorganization meeting in April and was pleasantly surprised to have about 30 people show up. At the group's second gathering May 9 at 6:30 p.m., those attending will share a potluck dinner, set a group agenda and elect officers.

"We have new people in our neighborhood," she said. "We'd like everyone to know their neighbors so we can help keep each other safe."

One of those new neighbors is the Rev. Terry Smith, pastor of First Alliance Church, 5000 10th St. N, where Gish is holding neighborhood meetings. Gish said she is thrilled with Smith's enthusiasm for the neighborhood.

"We want to reach into the neighborhood and help out any way we can," said Smith, who moved to St. Petersburg from suburban Detroit in February. Part of a missionary order that revives churches and their communities, Smith feels right at home aiding Gish's efforts.

"It's a good neighborhood; there aren't a lot of problems, nothing major anyway," he said. "But it'd be nice to know your neighbors."

Gish said the neighborhood is in a kind of forgotten part of the city between 46th and 62nd avenues north and MLK and 16th streets. The area is mostly working class with older, simple frame homes, but geographically it is in a good spot.

"We're right in the middle of everything," Gish said. "We need to build this up here."

Gish said some neighbors want speed bumps to keep speeding teens from racing down the street on the way to Northeast High School. Others, like the elderly, are afraid of loitering young people, which some call gangs but Gish says are just kids with nothing to do. Some people are concerned with absentee landlords and unkempt properties, but Gish isn't sure these issues are compelling enough to bring the group together.

"Our neighborhood is starting to backslide," she said. "The only way to control it is through a neighborhood association."

Smith wants to find some motivation to inspire more members for the group.

"People are curious to see if this will do anything," Smith said. "We need to find out what we can get from the city and then celebrate it so people can say, 'Hey, this works.' "

Smith said he has asked Mayor Rick Baker to speak to the group and is pursuing opportunities to bring education and entertainment to the Roberts Center, a soon-to-be-revitalized facility in Roberts Park, the only one in the neighborhood. Gish said she is also working to create interest in a place where the association died once from apathy.

"Everyone has good intentions, but it's a matter of getting it started," she said. "There's a lot of negativity in the neighborhood, but there's no reason we can't be like Meadowlawn."

MEETINGS

n The Childs Park Neighborhood Association will hold its next meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at the Childs Park Recreation Center, 4301 13th Ave. S.

n The North Kenwood Neighborhood Association is meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Edward White Hospital Auditorium, Room 1G, 2299 Ninth Ave. N. The speaker will be Judy Ellis from Gulfcoast Legal Services, who will discuss living wills. The group will also talk about its neighborhood picnic.

n The Disston Heights Neighborhood Association will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at St. Petersburg Community Church, 4501 30th Ave. N. City Council member Jeff Danner will speak. St. Petersburg police Officer Richard Grimberg will give a brief talk regarding Youth Council. And there will be an update on the proposal to build a cell phone tower at Palm Lake Christian Church.

n The Meadowlawn Neighborhood Association will hold a fundraising rummage sale May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church, 1801 62nd Ave. N. Proceeds will support Lynch Elementary School and the neighborhood's college scholarship for residents of the community. Call 525-5604 for more information.

Readers wishing to submit information for the Neighborhood Notebook can contact Times staff writer Paul Swider either by e-mail at pswider@sptimes.com or by phone at 892-2271. Neighborhood association presidents who would like to publish their organization's information directly to the Web on their own itsyourtimes.com blog should also contact Paul Swider at pswider@sptimes.com.

[Last modified May 7, 2006, 10:16:42]