Monthly Report –April 1998

# of Neighborhood Organizations assisted: 11

# of Faith-Based Organizations assisted: 0

# of Municipal Agencies assisted: 3

April was an incredibly successful month for the NTAC. Over 60 University students participated in a number of projects for the last East St. Louis work weekend of the semester. For that reason I would like to use this introduction to highlight the impact our office is having on the next generation of planners, architects and other professionals.

Over the past several years the East St. Louis Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center staff has often been placed in the role of "ambassadors" for East St. Louis. In that role we have informed an array of individuals and entities about the incredible community development efforts being undertaken here by East St. Louis residents, CDBG Operations Corp., the University of Illinois and others. One such opportunity to present that information occurred in April when NTAC staff hosted Wartburg College students for 2 days of learning and service in East St. Louis.

Wartburg College is a small liberal arts school in Iowa that has supplied student volunteers for the past five (5) years to work with East St. Louis neighborhood associations. As a reward for their many efforts over the years, NTAC staff hosted Professor Frederic A. Waldstein and sixteen (16) undergraduate political science students as they learned about the City of East St. Louis. Damon Smith, Director of the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center, provided a tour of the city. Curtis Galloway, East St. Louis City Manager, discussed the local political climate. Jeanelle Stovall, Associate Director of the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities and Rocco Goins, Vice President of the Olivette Park Neighborhood Association, discussed grassroots community revitalization. Patricia Nolan, NTAC Community Planner, and Craig Miller, NTAC Design Specialist, provided information about practicing their professions in a distressed city. Finally, Toya Nash, Director of New Spirit Neighborhood Organizing Office, and James Jones, Director of the East St. Louis Community Action Network talked about the need for organizing and direct action.

Students asked pointed questions about East St. Louis and remarked on their improved impression of East St. Louis and similarly distressed cities. The event was successful enough that we are working out a policy to educate students from other schools in return for their volunteer services. To start that effort Patricia Nolan participated in Washington University’s Practicum Day in order to recruit interns from the Social Work Department to provide support to East St. Louis social service agencies.

NTAC staff assisted Sandra Reeves of the Alta Sita Development Corporation with writing and submitting an URPS pre-proposal for the development of Virginia Park.

NTAC staff assisted ESL-CAN with the submission of an URPS grant to clean up trash-strewn lots in Olivette Park and Edgemont. In addition NTAC staff assisted in writing a grant for Pollution Prevention that would involve the collaboration of the New Spirit Neighborhood Organizing Office, Neighborhood Law Office, and Emerson Park Development Corporation.

NTAC staff assisted the University of Illinois in hosting a luncheon for large area employers. The goal of the luncheon was to enlist their support in the distribution and collection of employee surveys that asked them about their housing preferences. This data will be analyzed by Development Strategies, Inc. and used in marketing analysis.

In addition, NTAC hosted a "neighborhood leader" focus group to ascertain housing preferences of current employees.

NTAC staff prepared and delivered presentation on U.S. Census Data for the ESL Planning Commission.

Patricia Nolan, Community Planner, attended a Weed and Seed Conference in order to learn about cutting edge practices to reduce crime in urban neighborhoods. NTAC staff also created maps of "Safe Havens" for youth throughout the city of East St. Louis.

NTAC staff, upon request of Edgemont Neighborhood Association President Flossie Hunt conducted research on liquor licenses in Edgemont, city-wide, and surrounding communities.

NTAC assisted Fairlawn by recruiting and supervising volunteers for clearing of trash strewn lots at 29^th and Veronica.

NTAC staff assisted Emerson Park with their CHDO proposal by editing and revising the submission with the EPDC executive director. NTAC staff also compiled census data, organizational history and helped develop goals and an implementation strategy for proposal.

NTAC staff also provided mapping services, including ownership of parcels targeted in the McCormack-Baron/EPDC tax credit project. In addition NTAC mapped data about current conditions including: presence of building, building occupancy, building condition, evidence of recent improvements, evidence of active improvements, fire evidence, inspection recommendations, size of buildings, site condition, sanitation violations, presence of trees and land use.

Craig Miller, NTAC Design Specialist, presented conceptual designs for single-family affordable housing which EPDC will build in the Summer of 1998.

Completed final report to the Benton Foundation for the KDCAH On-line grant. In addition, NTAC staff assisted in writing a funding proposal for a Reader’s Digest Folk Grant, and staffed the monthly Katherine Dunham Board of Director’s meeting.

NTAC staff organized and supervised 20 students’ volunteer efforts on behalf of the Dunham Museum landscape project being undertaken with URPS funds. Craig Miller, NTAC Design Specialist, also provided construction management services to the Dunham Centers for their CDBG-funded plumbing project.

NTAC assisted the Neighborhood Law Office through grant writing for the Pollution Prevention project submitted to the E.P.A. This project will be undertaken in collaboration with the East St. Louis Community Action Network and New Spirit Neighborhood Organizing Office.

NTAC assisted New Spirit by providing volunteers to collaborate with them on Operation Bag-It; a program designed to clean up rights-of-way along major thoroughfares. In addition NTAC assisted the New Spirit Organizing Office by providing grant writing assistance for their Pollution Prevention project submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. The latter project will be undertaken in conjunction with the Neighborhood Law Office and East St. Louis Community Action Network.

NTAC staff assisted OPNA with writing and submitting an URPS pre-proposal designed to demolish derelict structures, and then landscape and maintain the lots.

NTAC staff assisted OPNA with writing and submitting an URPS pre-proposal designed to demolish derelict structures, and then landscape and maintain the lots.

NTAC staff assisted OPNA with writing and submitting an URPS pre-proposal designed to demolish derelict structures, and then landscape and maintain the lots.

* See attached bills and time sheets