September 24, 2007

Akron Mayor Plusquellic Tells Hynde, City Is Back

Rocker and Akron native Chrissie Hynde stood outside her new restaurant September 6 to trumpet the vegetarian lifestyle and the resurgence of downtown Akron. Hynde, 56, dressed in blue jeans and a VegiTerranean T-shirt, stood at a podium next to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and traded friendly ribbing about the city. Hynde has had great commercial success with “My City Was Gone,” about the decline of Akron and other American towns.

“Welcome home Chrissie Hynde, your city is back,” Plusquellic said.

Hynde’s VegiTerranean restaurant will occupy a corner of the first floor of the new Northside Lofts at the corner of Furnace and Howard streets at the north edge of downtown Akron. The restaurant, which will feature an Italian/vegetarian menu, is not expected to open until mid-October. However, Hynde was in Akron through September 15, when a ceremonial ribbon cutting took place. She performed a benefit concert for the Civic Theatre.

Winston-Salem (NC) Mayor Allen Joines has been recognized by two statewide organizations for his work in rebuilding the economy of his community; in developing programs to promote racial healing; and, for supporting strong urban planning principles.

Joines received the Lifetime Achievement Award August 30 from the Arthritis Foundation of North Carolina in recognition of Joines’ successful efforts in transitioning Winston-Salem from a manufacturing economy to one based on knowledge industries. When Joines was elected in 2001, the growth of the city’s tax base was at less than one percent per year and job growth was stagnant.

Based on a number of economic initiatives implemented by Winston-Salem, the tax base has grown at a rate over three percent for the past two years. Annual job growth has exceeded two percent, led by the recruitment of a $186 million Dell Computer facility and the 220 acre Piedmont Triad Research Park. In addition, a new downtown baseball stadium and mixed use project is underway with a potential private sector investment of $250 million.

Joines has also initiated programs to deal with serious racial tensions that were present due the wrongful prosecution of an African American male in the death and rape of a White female. He created the Mayor’s Committee to Promote Racial Healing and led the creation of racial healing forums on the Criminal Justice System, and relations between ethnic groups within the city. Along with the city council members, he began a Talk of the Town program to meet with citizens in each of the eight wards on a regular basis.

In September, Joines received the Marvin Collins Distinguished Leadership Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association. The award recognized Joines for being a champion of good community planning and for “significantly advancing the improvement and vitality of Winston-Salem and contributing to the achievement of many of the community’s planning goals. Thanks to his efforts, the future of this community is something that many people are excited about.”

The opening of the Lodge Freeway and support for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign was celebrated by walking over the Lodge with Southfield (MI) Mayor Brenda Lawrence August 25. The event was attended by over 200 walkers and runners. Participants wore red to show their support for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.

Washington’s new Mayor, Adrian M. Fenty, was the subject of an extensive profile in the Sept. 10 New York Times.

Fenty was elected 10 months ago in a landslide. The 36-year old mayor now heads a city where, despite many urban problems years ago, now sees crime dropping every year since 2002, property values have risen, and an exodus of population has been replaced by concern about overcrowding. D.C. was granted home rule in 1973 and Fenty is its fifth mayor.

In June of this year, Fenty seized control of the schools from the Board of Education and hired a new chancellor. In a majority black city, the Times notes, Fenty has hired a white woman as police chief, a Korean-American woman as school chancellor and a Hispanic man as deputy mayor.

San Francisco is considering a city identification card for immigrants unable to get traditional ID cards.

Proposed by Supervisor Tom Ammiano, the card would be needed for many services such as health care. Mayor Gavin Newsome already heads a sanctuary city for immigrants which means no city agency, including the police, will assist the federal government to deport people. The mayor supports the card which could be used for libraries, golf courses, public transportation and other services. New Haven has such a program supported by Mayor John Stefano and New York City is considering one.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has called for a state law banning anyone younger than 21 from possessing a firearm. Jackson said statistics from 2004 to 2006 show 70 percent of those arrested on charges involving firearms were under 28.

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson and his city’s business and political leadership are staking its future on immigrants to the United States flocking here from across the globe. In a Sept. 18 Wall Street Journal Article, Abramson champions the city’s immigrants, many from Africa as his term –“Internationals”—sees individuals, companies and organizations working to integrate and improve the lot of newcomers. Abramson, the article notes, champions cultural diversity and has been mayor for most of the past two decades.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums on Sept. 15 said he would deploy 25 street outreach workers in the city’s toughest neighborhoods to ease violence that has claimed more than 90 lives this year. Dellums said the street outreach worker job will be to steer Oakland youth away from crime and drugs and into recreation programs, education and jobs.

Most, said the mayor, will come from the neighborhoods and have experience in conflict, mediation, and social services.

The San Francisco Chronicle Sept. 16 article reporting on Dellums effort noted that Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia have similar programs.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders on Sept. 6 unveiled the city’s new Reverse 911 emergency notification call system. The system can deliver emergency messages to as many as 240,000 households and businesses in one hour.

The system, designed to make telephone calls in a timely manner during emergencies or disasters, uses a combination of databases and GIS mapping technologies to target specific geographic areas.

The three-year contract for $180,000 was paid for by Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Homeland Security grant funds.