Search
NoMi Business Partners
The I.I. Blog Roll
The Goddess of Glass
Reliable Twin Cleaning
Followers
About Me
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
Monday, April 4, 2011
WBC Membership Drive
7:47 AM | 
Posted by
The I.I. |
This blog thread posted by the Irving Inquisition uses some explicit language, as well as depicting some aspects of life in North Minneapolis that some readers may find objectionable. Reader discretion is advised.
WBC Membership Drive
Last week, this blogger attended a breakfast meeting for West Broadway Coalition’s drive to bolster its membership. The meeting was held at our local YMCA, and as it turned out, it was a great networking opportunity for all of the various groups and organizations being represented there.
 |
| I believe this well dressed gentleman is with the city, can't remember his name though. |
This particular meeting was orchestrated in a way that I had never seen at a north side meeting before. It actually started and ended on time. That’s a first for me. However, just because the meeting ended on time, didn’t mean that a bunch of us were chatting and palm-pressing afterwards. It wasn’t until about 11:30 before I got out of there.
 |
| WBC President, Jackie Cherryhomes |
The meeting itself was drama free. This of course was in stark contrast to the L3SO meeting that would be held several days later. Only one person in the audience made a ripple, and even that may be an over statement. This person asked the board President, Jackie Cherryhomes, if somebody could apply for a grant to get the $150 that it costs to become a member of WBC. Fortunately, Cherryhomes didn’t hesitate to dismiss that question with a quick “No” before moving on.
 |
| Don Samuels, you already know who he is. :) |
While this event was a fund raiser in nature, this blogger was able to see that this was more of a networking opportunity. As it turned out, I spent as much time recruiting for the Jordan flock as I did talking about West Broadway. Good times.
 |
| I didn't catch this woman's name, however, I did find her to be an effective speaker. |
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Share The I.I.
There was an error in this gadget
11 comments:
What is the Jordan flock?
The first picture is Mike Christiansen of CPED. The last picture is Diana Hawkins of Comcast and past president of the WBC.
Asked if there was grant money to cover the membership cost? Great! I love how some folks seem to have the mentality that the shouldn't have to invest any of their own money in THEIR OWN business! That's bloody shameful!
You know, I'm fine with the improvement grants that are going on in the area, where businesses have to provide matching funds or at least a percentage of the overall cost to get the grant -at least that shows they are invested in their business and have some incentive to make it work, but the expectation of a handout is not only sickening, but symptomatic of North's problems.
Some business owners here feel they don't have to try because they are on the Northside -they don't have to provide a safe, clean environment for their customers because, after all, those customers are just Northsiders -it's not like they deserve the standards that pass as merely acceptable elsewhere in the metro area. So, big shock when Northsiders aren't apt to frequent those establishments or spend their money at a place where they don't feel safe or welcome.
Oh, but a Northside business shouldn't be expected to be invested in its own success -why, that responsibility falls on everybody else but the person who actually profits from running the establishment!
There is money here to be had from Northside patrons, but they're a picky lot. They don't like compromised expectations, and they're right to be that way. I promise you, if you build a decent business atmosphere with a clean space, friendly staff, safe accessibility, and free of loitering thugs and drug dealers, and that business will do well here.
Mike is a major mover and shaker with the city. All of our development projects in North Minneapolis have Mike's fingerprints on them to some degree. He was highly involved in the Hawthorne Eco-Village success story. Really a good guy to know.
In fact, if the Jordan Neighborhood wants to get some stuff done instead of just putting up a sign on Penn Ave. N. promising that "big changes are coming soon," Mike is the guy to talk to.
Typo. I am sure you meant to write WEREN'T chatting and palm-pressing, even though the sentence is an awkward double negative that means you WERE.
John, the Jordan neighborhood didn't put up a sign on Penn Ave that says "changes are coming soon" - the CITY put up that sign, and likely the department that Mike Christenson heads, CPED, likely put up that sign.
We have "cluster projects" in the Jordan neighborhood that we work closely with CPED to develop, the 2500 block of James is a good example and even extends one more house over the the northwest corner of 26/James to the big, pretty, new, red house on that corner.
There is (was) a cluster project on the 2700 block of Penn, which is where that "big changes coming soon" sign is located, next to Dottie's, but, ummmmm, well, in case you hadn't noticed our neighborhood org sort of fell apart when a few assholes thought it was their personal walkin' around money account, and the economy collapsed and etc. etc. etc. Less gets done with no staff, no money, no development funds to get things done with.
But, yeah, John, thanks for the tip on how to get things done! :-)
Mike needs to dump the bow tie. Something about a guy dressed for the Ordway looses credibility in the Hood no matter how affective his solutions may be.
Appearances do matter. If you don't think so then go try to appeal an issue at a City Council meeting dressed as a Gang Banger. The way you dress and speak implies a sensitivity to your audience and Mike would do much better to project himself in a less formal attire.
So...While neighborhood funding is being eliminated, How much do these signs cost?
Oh no, we have the "looser" commenter amongst us.
Looser.
Loser.
Looses (is that even a word??)
Loses
Loose
Lose.
Forget it, you're lost.
Mike should definitely keep the bowtie. That way, when he comes to the Hood (following your capitalization) the thugs dresses as gangbangers can see what real gentlemen wear.
And about the cost of sign, if the City did NOT put up signs like that, you'd be complaining that they aren't reaching out to the community and keeping them informed, especially those poor people who don't have access to the internet. There's no pleasing malcontents.
I think the bowtie is quite dapper.
Poor Jackie - looks like private life has worn her out! She should have stayed in politics! Yikes!
Post a Comment