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Pride on its way
Pride will be coming soon, says the Southwest Area Commission. At their June 16 meeting, the commission announced that select communities within the southwest region were chosen to be one of the four areas that will host the popular event known as Neighborhood Pride. Neighborhood Pride, which was created by Mayor Michael B. Coleman in 2000, is a weeklong event where families and a variety of city departments work together to help clean, fix up, beautify and strengthen the community. “Everything that you can think of happens,” said commissioner Stefanie Coe. According to the city, their departments provide home safety and code inspections; alley cleaning; street sweeping; utility and storm sewer inspections; mowing; park cleaning and lead volunteer efforts to remove litter and graffiti. Within their 10 years as being an active program, Neighborhood Pride is credited with helping to get 9,792 homes fixed up and brought into compliance with city codes, repairing 1,877 streetlights, picking up 1,147 tons of bulk trash, inspecting 23,186 catch basins and painting 6,234 fire hydrants. Repair work is not all they do though. During select days of the week, they hold Neighborhood Safety Academy sessions, host a Bicycle Safety Festival (and give out free bike helmets to children), have a Neighborhood Pride Talent Showcase with Finland Middle School students, and host a community night with mayor Coleman and his cabinet. New this year is a community bike ride with the mayor, and Coe said funding would be available for homes in the Pride area to do improvements. Some low to no interest loans will be offered to residents who apply (and are accepted) when the event begins. Commissioner Ralph Horn noted it “was a good thing” they were having a community bike ride with the mayor because it would showcase the lack of sidewalks and bike paths in the area. For residents along Frank Road, Hardy Parkway and Gantz Road, Neighborhood Pride week officially kicks off on Sept. 13, but the community is encouraged to come to the Pre-Pride community meeting on Sept. 7 at the Central Baptist Church, located at 1955 Frank Road. Among other dates of interest, the Neighborhood Safety Academy will be held on Sept. 14 from 6-9 p.m. at the Central Baptist Church, the mayor’s Community Bike Ride will be on Sept. 15, and Coleman’s community night will be held on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Central Baptist Church. The Central Baptist Church will also be the location of the Pride Week Service Center, (9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday). The Bicycle Safety Festival date has yet to be determined.
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