Historical January 1979 candidate statement. Editor’s note: “As is our custom The Paper invited both candidates for the position of Alderman of the 28th Ward to submit a campaign statement.” Statements and claims are the candidate’s own. The first-of-month date is for archival filing, not an established printing day.
It has been both exciting and gratifying to serve as your Alderman for the past three years. Although there is much left to do, we have seen a great deal of progress and stability in the Skinker-DeBaliviere area.
I would like to mention briefly some of the events that have occurred in the past few years, many of which I have had involvement. I introduced a bill about a year and one half ago to establish a neighborhood park in the Washington Heights area of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community. This park, which will be named after the late Phillip Lucier, will offer greatly needed athletic fields for our local youth and leagues.
With the support of the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council, I was able to amend at the Board of Aldermen, a CDA funding bill in order to establish a Community School at the Hamilton School. The Community School has been in operation for about one year and is increasingly offering programs that are designed to benefit both adults and youth in our community.
Important to the progress and stability of our community has been the continuing efforts in rehabilitation and redevelopment. The efforts of small investors working on a single project, when combined with efforts like 316 Laurel, and with the work of the Pantheon Corporation in the Skinker-DeBaliviere area have had a positive impact on our community. Property values have not only stabilized but have appreciated. Existing owners have shown a willingness to reinvest in their own property. People look at the Skinker-DeBaliviere area as a desirable place to live and raise their families. I have been happy to support these many efforts by working to find the necessary funds to provide an increasingly pleasant environment for our neighborhood.
In September, 1978, the Skinker DeBaliviere area was designated as a Historic District. Many hours of volunteer effort went into the formulation and the various revisions of the ordinance, and I was pleased to sponsor the bill before the Board of Aldermen, a bill which, in the final form, has the support of so many of our residents.
Much of what an alderman must do is directly related to the well-being of our total city. As a member of various committees at the Board of Aldermen, I have found it gratifying to be able to work with other members in aiding and assisting in the renewal of our city. I have also found it very important to be able to work with residents in meeting their specific individual needs and concerns.
Presently, I am working with a committee of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council which is developing a plan for Nina Place. Nina Place requires new investment, and it is the hope of the committee that a plan will aid the owners in a reinvestment program with little or no displacement.
There has been talk of possibly widening Skinker Blvd. I am opposed for many reasons to the widening of Skinker and will fight it with all the resources I have at hand
There is still much to be done. We are an urban neighborhood that offers challenges and, more importantly, promise. I look forward to being involved in programs such as the revitalization of Nina Place and the renewal of the commercial strip on Delmar. It has been my pleasure to serve you as your Alderman, and I ask for your support that I may continue to serve you through the next four years.
Original photograph caption
Vincent Schoemehl. The Paper, January 1979, page 1. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, January 1979.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1979_01.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 8; PDF page(s) 1, 8.
