No state funds for new Elm Street programs, including York's

York's hopes for an Elm Street program to revitalize the west end of the city are on hold since the state announced that no new designations will be made because of budget cuts.

[Maintain Status Quo]

Don't put any funds into that rathole. It will just drive the rats to other sections of town as they will not be able to afford the rent. Keep 'em right there and let them continue to annihilate themselves.

[Frank]

That's good news. Why should the taxpayers keep paying higher taxes, only to have it wasted in hellholes.

[PeteB]

yep - its like putting lipstick ona pig.....

[Word on the streets]

Interesting... so far three comments and all of them from the really stupid people.

[Yorky]

Word on the streets wrote:

Interesting... so far three comments and all of them from the really stupid people.

Interesting... one comment from one really big clueless as&hole who wants to waste money trying to bring back the dead. Must be one of the cesspool dwellers.

[Frank]

Probably 4 taxpayers and one leech above.

[Bonniangels]

First of all . I live in the West end .
I have owned my home here for 24 yrs..
My husband and I are hard working people . Our neighborhood is 95 percent home owners .
We want things to change here .
Have you ever seen one of your neighbors laying on your sidewalk shot or beaten ?
Do you decorate your home considering where a stray bullet may come in ?
To say " keep them where they are and let them annihilate each other " can only come from someone who is looking in from the outside .
I am sorry this improvement has been put on hold .
But , the truth be told , we never really had any faith that it would actually come .

[Bonniangels]

Oh , and now I must leave to go to work so I can pay my taxes .
No welfare or freebees for us .

[city girl]

There are a lot of good people on the west side.We all work, pay taxes,clean up, just like normal people.We didnt let this area get this way, the city did.Should have done something when the cancer first got on this side. But no, they waited till it spread over here and now want to do something. As long as it isnt in their neighborhood, who cares. Does anyone from the city live in the Elm Street Designated area???? Not that I know of!!!!! Why not work with what you have for now.Every Dept.in the city should be over here enforcing codes and whatever. MAKE IT WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE!!!!!!

[Taxman]

Does the city litter? Does the city spray graffiti? Does the city mug,sell drugs shoot, rob and carjack? I think the residents are to blame. Not a dime should be wasted to spruce up a decaying dump that the locals will only destroy in the future.

[Tony]

Spending taxpayer money to put in brick crosswalks, decorative sidewalk lighting, trees, etc. won't do one bit to stop the killings, muggings and vandalism. In fact,it will just give the punks something new to ruin. The problem with neighborhoods in the city isn't decorative. It's the people who live and loiter there.

[bb2urngood]

Bonniangels wrote:

First of all . I live in the West end .
I have owned my home here for 24 yrs..
My husband and I are hard working people . Our neighborhood is 95 percent home owners .
We want things to change here .
Have you ever seen one of your neighbors laying on your sidewalk shot or beaten ?
Do you decorate your home considering where a stray bullet may come in ?
To say " keep them where they are and let them annihilate each other " can only come from someone who is looking in from the outside .
I am sorry this improvement has been put on hold .
But , the truth be told , we never really had any faith that it would actually come .

I here your voice loud and clear. I empathize with your comments. However, for any community project to work, whether its a multimillion dollar investment from the State and City or a local initative residents have to step out on their faith and lend a hand. Joanne Borders has been doing a tremendous job of rallying the people to the cause, with the help of the Salem Square Neighborhood Association. Unless residents realize that this community cannot survive without more participation we will all be back at the drawing board years from now with the same ideas, same complaints, and no action. We as residents must take a stand. It starts with us and ends with us. God Bless

[bb2urngood]

Tony wrote:

Spending taxpayer money to put in brick crosswalks, decorative sidewalk lighting, trees, etc. won't do one bit to stop the killings, muggings and vandalism. In fact,it will just give the punks something new to ruin. The problem with neighborhoods in the city isn't decorative. It's the people who live and loiter there.

I disagree with you wholeheartedly! Residents will see the instant transformation in their streetscape improvements,(i.e. improved lighting, smoother streets, stamped brick work, new trees, better sidewalks) and realize that a difference has been made. What resident, whether renter or homeowner wouldn't take pride and ownership in their community if they have a great place to come home to?! While its a rhetorical question, the fact is property values increase with each new tree along the street, residents are much more likely to participate in community activities, such as litter cleanups, festivals, and National Night Out if they have something to stand behind. Not everyone is going to be convinced that these improvements are necessary, however when new lights go up and crime comes down, these are statistics no one can deny. I urge you to begin fighting for the cause instead of raging against something that will benefit the entire city in time.

[bb2urngood]

city girl wrote:

There are a lot of good people on the west side.We all work, pay taxes,clean up, just like normal people.We didnt let this area get this way, the city did.Should have done something when the cancer first got on this side. But no, they waited till it spread over here and now want to do something. As long as it isnt in their neighborhood, who cares. Does anyone from the city live in the Elm Street Designated area???? Not that I know of!!!!! Why not work with what you have for now.Every Dept.in the city should be over here enforcing codes and whatever. MAKE IT WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE!!!!!!

There are a number of residents that live in an Elm Street Desginated area. The City of York recieved the first Elm Street designation with the project known as Olde Towne East. Residents will gush about how the improvements in the area greatly improved the overall quality of life. Not every problem has been solved, not every house as recieved code violations that need it, but what has happened is that residents are much more likely to voice their opinions. Now that they have a project to stand behind, they really take pride in what they can claim as their own. I challenge you to attend your local neighborhood association meeting and see how you be the catalyst your community needs. GB

[Viktor]

So Bracey's brilliant plan was to dump a ton of money into an island neighborhood and hope that it took off? Does anyone know where Locust St is? It doesn't work. You need to link these neighborhoods together to areas that are already doing well. taking random shots at revitalization and hoping some stick is a waste of taxpayer money. Of course, that concept is going to be a little beyond our mayor elect.

[Bobbo]

bb2urngood wrote:

<quoted text>
I disagree with you wholeheartedly! Residents will see the instant transformation in their streetscape improvements,(i.e. improved lighting, smoother streets, stamped brick work, new trees, better sidewalks) and realize that a difference has been made. What resident, whether renter or homeowner wouldn't take pride and ownership in their community if they have a great place to come home to?! While its a rhetorical question, the fact is property values increase with each new tree along the street, residents are much more likely to participate in community activities, such as litter cleanups, festivals, and National Night Out if they have something to stand behind. Not everyone is going to be convinced that these improvements are necessary, however when new lights go up and crime comes down, these are statistics no one can deny. I urge you to begin fighting for the cause instead of raging against something that will benefit the entire city in time.

I remember going on one of those litter cleanups once with a service organization that I belonged to. The residents sat on their porches and made wise cracks while we tried to pick up the litter that they put there. I'm tired of seeing my money wasted on people who don't give a damn about living in sqaulor.

[PeteB]

bb2urngood wrote:

<quoted text>
I disagree with you wholeheartedly! Residents will see the instant transformation in their streetscape improvements,(i.e. improved lighting, smoother streets, stamped brick work, new trees, better sidewalks) and realize that a difference has been made. What resident, whether renter or homeowner wouldn't take pride and ownership in their community if they have a great place to come home to?! While its a rhetorical question, the fact is property values increase with each new tree along the street, residents are much more likely to participate in community activities, such as litter cleanups, festivals, and National Night Out if they have something to stand behind. Not everyone is going to be convinced that these improvements are necessary, however when new lights go up and crime comes down, these are statistics no one can deny. I urge you to begin fighting for the cause instead of raging against something that will benefit the entire city in time.

I remember the last time they "improved" Salem Square. Looked nice for about a year. Same with the "improvements on S.Pine St. and E.Princess Sts. Looked nice for a bit - now go look at them. How about the residents get out there and paint their houses and keep the trash picked up along the roads and sidewalks. Why should the government do it for you - they sure don't do it out in the suburbs....

[Bonniangels]

Hey BoBo , I get what your saying about people sitting and watching as someone else cleans the streets .
I pick up all the garbage that ends up in front and in the rear of my home . It's not my garbage but I clean it . I do this because I care about my home and it's appearance .
The trash is not what keeps the criminals in the area , it's the buyers who come in from other areas that keep them in business . And Gus's Bar allows the drug dealers to hide their drugs on his property . That Bar should be closed down !
Viktor , I don't live on an Island . Salem Square is a tiny part of the West end .And except for the 600 Blk. there are beautiful homes on Locust St..