So I've been to neighborhood board meetings before. Typically, the room is setup with rows of chairs facing a table for presiding officers. Not my first rodeo right? Well, Eckington has a refreshingly different approach. All chairs in the room form one large circle facing inward. Therefore everyone is instantly given equal presence in the room which opens the door for healthy dialogue. Thankfully, I didn't have to wander in like a lost stranger because Lyndsi from Yang Market offered to walk me in. About 25 seats were filled and the meeting unfolded. The first thing that impressed me was the organization of the agenda and handouts. You might say that there's nothing special about that. However, when they have assigned 5 minute time slots to each topic, I would say that's special. President Katrina Velasquez held the room well and methodically addressed each agenda item. ANC 5E03 rep, (Hannah Powell) and ANC rep 5E04 (Sylvia Pinkney) gave their respective reports to the room also. The Councilmember's office rep (Cyril Crocker) gave a thoughtful report of some new Ward 5 initiatives. One was to acquire a building to shelter and educate 'Children and Women of Violence', and the other was to erect statues to honor females and minorities. Both very worthy initiatives! One topic that took center stage was how to address a Liquor Store that was exercising bad judgement (to put it nicely). Since this has been an ongoing issue, the Civic Association decided to draft a letter to send this particularly unruly tenant. However, there were split opinions on the tone of the letter. Should it be non-abrasive, or "do your homework or else" stern? Ultimately, the room established quorom and held a vote as to send the letter or not. The Yays had it, but the Nays were still unhappy about the sterness. Finally, it was agreed that the tone would be adjusted, and everyone was satisfied. It was a perfect display of constructive problem solving instead of an uncooperative butting of heads. Next, two first time resident antendees said 'hi' to voice concerns on separate issues. One of the residents has lived in Eckington since 1962?! 65 years old, and now attending his first Civic Association meeting. That deserves an applause! Hopefully this is a sign of neighbors becoming more proactive in their community.
Winding down to the bottom half of the meeting, another interesting topic came up. Near the Rhode Island Metro intersection, the Eckington neighborhood is currently zoned for industrial. This is where FedEx resides. A portion of this land is being considered for purchase by Foulger-Pratt for residential development which would of course require a zoning change. FedEx is not happy and wants to contest this conversion. So, this raises a fundamental question for the community and highlights competing priorities. Does Eckington want to preserve this area as industrial commercial space to grow blue collar jobs? Or does Eckington embrace new residential housing opportunities which would be ideal in the proximity to metro? There's no easy answer. Last but not least, the final topic was dedicated to coordinating Eckington Day in late October. Finally, the fun part! This is an annual event that the neighborhood puts on to bring the community together. Flyers, swag, entertainment, music, face paint, halloween costumes, raffles, prominent speakers, maybe a moon bounce and a fire truck... this event is shaping up to be a shin dig! Between the social chair, Adam Duffy, and community outreach chair, Lyndsi Sitcov, the logistics are in good hands. They are even planning for a health table, book drive, and oral history of Eckington collection! This is how you inspire cohesiveness in a community and build tradition. The neighborhood pride in the room was tangible, and I was happy to be a part of it. At this point, everyone broke into separate groups to work on subcomittees for the Eckington Day activities and funding. I decided to bid farewell while the room continued to hum well beyond the agenda timeframe with enthusiasm and vigor. As I drove home, I reflected on topics discussed, and ardent participation of everyone in the room. When I got home, I decided to donate a modest amount to the Eckington Civic Commision - gotta make sure they get that moon bounce!
1 Comment
Mahwish Bajwa
9/16/2017 10:14:32 am
Hi Arun,
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Arun DotsonThis is my research of the Eckington neighborhood. Categories
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