another great blessed day...i am fortunate to have great people i meet with all day long, passionate about their wokr about their community about helping...no matter what side of the aisle people fall on..with that in mind..i was glad that towards the end of the afternoon i met with the ABC Disney friends and my partner on the Regis and Kelly House Adrienne Whtie of Disney Worlwide Outreach. She and her two co workers...came by to visit me to talk about Habitat's Day with Disney...working Nov 7th on homes in their day of service with us...We had met first when Adrienne called me once out of the blue and said do you want a house...I said what are you talking about..she said do you want a house that Regis and kelly built...it is in manhattan, but i need to know by tomorrow...I went and vistied her and the gang next to the View set..and a big house in Manhattan became recycled...resold and was a moment in history i still find hard to believe i was part...everyday I would drive our big old truck back then early down to the ABC studios and volunteers would then come down by metro north, farm kids in to help us, and would take apart bit by bit the house.. even MBIA employees came down to help us, as well as other volunteers...it was an amazing feat we accomplished...I say thank you ABC...and again say thank you ABC as their publishing department moves out here to Westchester and becomes part of TEAM HABITAT ..more to follow..
Last nite I returned at 1100 after a long community meeting with the parents, a number of them who want to see all of Purser place for a park...many would like to take our land, and another businesses...to
then create a regulation ball field...though wtihin .6 miles there is a regulation ball field within walking distance....as one parent who dropped me off at my car at the end of the meeting said..Jim these parents did not fix up their own playground here for five years...and are not here at 315 daily when 30 busesses ,
come in and out of here daily...how do they expect that they can secure a playground and make it happen..also the other playground was vandalized recently in front of the school...
I commend every parent there last nite, some politics going on, as is everywhere, but every single one of them and also local advocates, who i am proud to say i know...my sincerity and integrity was questioned, unfairly, but take it from the source...My board my families my donors, my Purser place neighbors and Hawthrone neighbors and riverdale neighbors are so happy we have been working in their neighborhood, paining the playground, kicking out drug users..( i stayed and made sure four users of drugs removed themselves one day out of the playground) and helping to put more home owners who will be stakeholders, tax payers, and helpers in the community...Also my neighborhing business who stated from day one they were not selling to me, has a great business and we were talking about how they might help with us the school kids...
Here is the compromise we have proposed..which some see as a compromise or no compromise...
We have proposed helping to make a green soccer field, and a basketball court, along with increased security protection and looking if two pieces of land we own might help...We believe this is a big compromise on our part..also one offer from Jason was to look at giving us school land on the other side of the street..the problem is no one from the school board was there...one parent threatened legal action, another thanked us for what we had done with the playground, another had stated there needed to be an inside gymnaisum..and another stated that they felt the area would have increased drug traffic on the street with a park..and wanted habitat there...many in the room, a stacked deck if you will were there in favor of the park with no compromise ...here is the challenge, no real dollars, land or dialogue with the neighboring business or us about any real offer has been made to replace the hardships...it would incur on our neighborhood and families..the other real thing is this...we are part of Purser Place and the neighborhood there, we have helped many there, there are many who count on us, Lincoln High school, roosevelt, Saunders and more volunteer with us..and help us..many join us in many ways and expect us in the Yonkers center there, where we have made a commimtent to help...our Lawrence neighbors are with us, our local city councillor has been with us, we have gone through every channell necessary and we look forward to working with anyone from Pearls who will be there on Saturdays like we have, after school hours, and other times, not only helping people who come in and get buessed into that school, but also to those who live their many of low economic status who own no homes, who need our help, have received it and will continue to receive it....so thank you to every single parent, who came to the meeting last nite, whether we agree or disagree, to every politician that was there, to the principal and to all, it was a great honor to meet all of you and in the mix, our partnership will grow, as we will help to make it the greenest best neighborhood possible in the country with your help, for your children, our families and our neighborhood there.. jjk
1 comment:
I respectfully disagree with you; I strongly believe a large green open space will benefit ALL.
The truth is very simple - PurserPark.org is trying to offer you a deal that will benefit your organization AND the families you are serving so passionately. But we cannot solidify our offer if you do not give us the time, nor tell us exactly what you want.
Your families (the future HfH residents) will profit if you enter negotiations on their behalf !!! Why deny them the chance! Granted, they will have to wait for their homes a few more months, but they will benefit for years and years to come, if they too can enjoy the proposed field! That is almost priceless.
You are saying no real offer has been made. That is not true. 3 Months ago the offer of the land AND the money was made. And the offer still stands, even to look for an even better offer. But only if you enter negotiations in good faith, not while you are building full steam ahead - even without having all necessary permits and with code violations.
The truth is simple: but you are making it seem complicated and you are now mistakenly repeating the testimonies from the parents and neighbors that spoke last night.
The Homeowners on Purser Place do NOT want more homes and more cars on their street! They, and the local police precinct believes so, too, that a park will actually make their street(s) SAFER!
I don't understand why you say that other schools are 'with you' on this? I bet they would LOVE to have another school's soccer team challenge them! What you say makes no sense. I am sorry to say this.
Please stop telling parents what to do with the playground. Stop telling us that our kids, as young as 4 years, should walk 5 blocks to another field (which, by the way, is in use by another school: Montessori #27)! I want my kids to be able to play behind their school, where their classmates hang out, where we can see them.
Nobody is denying that your intentions to help are noble. But nobody asked you nor wanted you to paint our playground either. Don't boast about it.
Your argument that the field wouldn't be large enough to hold a regulation size ballfield is irrelevant: I would LOVE to have my kid hit a few more homeruns if that's what he thinks he did. He would never have to know the field was a few feet too short.
Besides, the parents and PTA may decide that we want a soccer field instead and keep the basket ball court. Or make two pee-wee soccer fields. or add some picnic tables.
Stop being negative. Stop saying things that are not true. The school already has 2 gymnasiums; we don't need another. The business next door may not want to sell to you, but it may want to sell to 'us'! Be positive and REMAIN a great advocate for serving the entire community, ALL underprivileged families and their kids.
This is a great opportunity for you to say you suffered a misunderstanding and now realize that you can serve EVERYONE. You know it, in your heart. You know what is the right thing to do. Tell your families we can -together- get them an even better deal.
Sincerely,
a very concerned parent and former Habitat supporter.
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