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Creating A Social Community One Person At A Time









I have written often about the neighborhood I grew up in. For twenty years I lived in what could only be described as a Utopian setting with many kids my age to play with and neighbors who cared about each other. Each summer there were barbeques on our block and whenever someone had a big chore they could count on their neighbors to chip in a helping hand.
There were no strangers in that area and if someone new moved in they could count on baked goods arriving on their door the same day as a way of saying welcome and we are glad that you are here. We kids would play our baseball games in the street and friends would sit on their porches to watch and cheer us on. Summer evenings were the best as everyone would come outside and visit over the fences or share a beer or a soda while talking about families, jobs, triumphs and failures. Gardening tips were shared, recipes were copied down, freshly-baked cookies were practically expected and yes, gossip was exchanged. It was a grand place to spend my childhood and in truth I have not experienced a similar atmosphere in the forty years since I left 18th & Monroe in Tacoma, Washington.
http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/A-Pleasant-Journey-Back-In-Time
Until now that is! Four months ago I moved to the Northeast Neighborhood of Olympia, Washington and to my surprise I found myself in a progressive area that seems determined to re-discover the old days of my youth. There is a wonderful sense of community here and quite frankly it feels a little like I am living in one of those old 50s TV shows.
This is all a bit hard for this hopeful cynic to absorb because I have watched the dismantling of the traditional neighborhood over the past few decades. With increased crime and drugs practically everywhere it seemed to me that many people were pulling up the draw bridge and protecting themselves at all cost and often that cost was comradeship with their neighbors.
WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND STORY
Olympia sits on the I-5 Corridor and because of its location it is susceptible to the transient nature of gangs and drug trafficking. Every now and then one of the cities will make a big push to clean up their city and then you can practically set your watch by how long it will take the criminal elements to pack their bags and move to the next city along the freeway. Downtown Olympia is a mess and not safe at night and many other neighborhoods are locked up tight, day and night, for protection. The police are overworked, the city budgets strained to the limit and there appears to be few answers for those hard-working folks who just want to raise their families in peace and safety.
I do not know how it is in other cities in the United States; I can only report on what I have seen in Tacoma and Olympia. I suspect that a similar situation is being experienced in many of the larger cities across our countries and quite possibly in cities the size of Olympia where the population is only about 40,000 inhabitants.
So what are citizens to do? There are too few cops, not enough money in the city budget for adequate protection and civic improvements and seemingly no answers!
Well welcome to the Northeast Neighborhood Association of Olympia!
BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY
A little over ten years ago a group of citizens with a list of concerns a mile long formed the Northeast Neighborhood Association. As you can see on the map this is an area approximately a mile square in area and it includes an elementary school, middle school, bakery, several parks and nature trails and a couple mom & pop grocery stores. For the most part it is a residential neighborhood that is situated about a mile from downtown Olympia. The homes are not extravagant in this area; they are mostly the dwellings of middle-class citizens living middle-class lives. There are countless such neighborhoods across the United States; the only thing that makes this area somewhat unique is that the residents decided to do something about their list of grievances rather than wait for the government to do what it could when funds allowed.
This initial group decided that they wanted to live in a place of safety where kids could be kids and adults would help each other for the betterment of all families. They drafted a list of qualities they hoped their neighbors could live by:
· I will listen before I act
· I will not let my fears keep me from taking a stand
· I will always be open to new ideas
· I will take responsibility for my actions
· I will live my life as if I am not entitled to anything
· I will act in autonomous but not individualistic ways
· I will continually look inward and challenge my own assumptions and beliefs
· I will hold myself and others mutually accountable for the health of my community
· I will not abide the obfuscating and buck-passing behaviors of bureaucratic institutions
· I will lean into the uncomfortable places in my life to deepen my connection with others and my own spirit
· I will live the idea that relationships are more fundamental than individuals and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
· I will create opportunities to engage in dialogue with others about what kind of future we want to create for ourselves together
· I will relish and celebrate the expansion and deepening of the many facets of the world I create with others
· I will embody the idea that we’re all in this together, that my fate is tied to the fate of others and the planet
· I will balance hard work with laughter and compassion
LOFTY GOALS TO BE SURE BUT WHERE IS THE ACTION?
Well, as it turned out this little group had the action to back up their words. Today this group is 350 strong and growing rapidly and they charge $10 per year membership fees, a fee that I’m sure you will agree is not very steep even in today’s economic world. They rely on volunteers to accomplish what ten years ago seemed impossible. A partial list of their accomplishments would include:
· San Francisco St. hill sidewalk, from East Bay to Garrison
· Friendly Grove Park
· Mission Creek Nature Park
· Fir St. Rain Garden
· Mission Creek Stewards
· Miller Avenue sidewalk
· Graffiti Busters (with over 1200 tags removed)
· Roosevelt School Centennial Time Garden & Human Sundial
· Quince St. sidewalk and other school walking route improvements
· Roosevelt School traffic safety improvements
· Festivals at SF and Bethel streets
· Annual Neighborhood Potluck parties
· Countless park and neighborhood clean-up work parties
· Wendell Berry Community Garden
· Pocket Gardens on SF St.
· Neighborhood walking guide
· Walk & Roll to School Days
MY OWN PERSPECTIVE
I have lived in Olympia now for twenty-two years. I have seen it go from being a quaint little town where one felt safe to a city outgrowing its resources where safety is a fleeting memory. From where I stand this seems to be the norm rather than the exception in the United States and although I know things were not perfect back when I grew up I find myself longing for those simpler days on 18th & Monroe where neighbors were not afraid to spend an evening out on their porches enjoying the quiet pleasures of the simple life.
No, life is not simple today. Words like meth, crack and assault and battery were not part of the everyday conversation when I was a kid. Not once when I was growing up did I worry about someone pulling an automatic weapon out of their coat at school. I walked for miles, biked further than that and my parents never had to fret about my safety.
There is a part of me that still believes it is possible to re-claim our neighborhoods and transform them once again into havens of safety and mutual respect but I do not for a single moment believe that the government is going to make this happen. I believe this is the job of individuals banding together in a concerted effort to claim that which is theirs.
Never underestimate the power of a determined group of citizens. Our history is filled with actions undertaken by small bands of concerned individuals who decided that change had to happen and then determined that they would make it happen. I applaud the founders of the Northeast Neighborhood Association and I applaud those who continue to carry that banner of hope for the future.
2012 Bill Holland (aka billybuc)
- Olympia's Northeast Neighborhood!
Project updates and news that benefit residents in the Northeast Neighborhood of Olympia, Washington.
- My Old House
The author has lived in his home for sixty-three years and finally learned to love it!
Comments
You are so lucky to live in such a community. Here in Southern California, neighbors mind their own business and rarely interact. So I tend to create my own communities around group activities such as at the gym. Voting this Up and Interesting.
The good ole days were not all good. What was good was what you are saying here neighborhood were good places..neighbors looked out for one another and for each others children. When someone in the neighborhood needed help everyone came.
I agree with you we can get that feeling back....nothing change unless a small group of committed people raise their ban together and raise their voices.
Hi Bill (an others): I have to share my experiences living in the NE Neighborhood for almost 19 years now. This past year, we moved from about 2 blocks from the bakery to over by Friendly Grove Park. As a lifetime walker, I have enjoyed countless hours of year-round walking this wonderful space; enjoying the change of the seasons and the changes in people's houses, yards, pets and their Christmas decorations outside. My husband and I have had the pleasure of reuniting neighbors with lost pets, going to the annual potluck, the fireworks at Roosevelt (the best kept secret that will now go away due to the recent vote) and numerous garage sales. This is just a few of the reasons we wanted to stay in the neighborhood because it feels like a neighborhood. We are just getting to know a few of our newest neighbors and still stop and say hi to our past neighbors. During the recent ice storm, we checked on each other to see who needed help. While there will always be folks who want to keep to themselves, I find it comforting to know my neighbors looked out for us 24/7 and we did the same. It doesn't take being nosy to do this, just a true caring for each others well-being. We are on the planet together. It is amazing how far a smile and a hello can go in this neighborhood. It is up to each one of us to continue making this the best place to live; it doesn't take a mound of financial resources, just a small gesture of kindness to recognize each other. I am proud to call the NE neighborhood my home.
Bill,
Thanks for your article.
There's so much that I agree with, but wanted to comment on the editorial about neighbourhood fear. I just moved into the Upper Eastside neighbourhood (the ripped up place across the street from the dog park, which is now undergoing some serious renovation, inside and out).
I do wonder about American culture in general and the neighbourhood I live in specifically whether the fear of crime is reality, or simply perception cultivated by the media we've all spent so many years of our lives ingesting (for context, I grew up in England, where the culture of fear is stoked far, far less than it is here in the States). I love Olympia for its diversity and acceptance of alternative lifestyles. Sure, there's a lot of deadbeats and semi-professional beggars, but do I ever really feel any fear? No, not really. I've taken homeless guys medicine and given my leftover pizza (cherished leftovers though they were) to dudes in the street asking for change. Never did I feel any fear.
Being a parent of an 8 year old boy, honestly, the biggest thing I'm afraid of is sexual predators. I'm on the sheriff's email list and get the notifications, so I'm acutely aware of who is a registered sex offender in the neighbourhood and roughly how far they are from my home. But even then, I wonder how much of my fear is legitimate versus purely perceptual. Do those notices arm me with useful information, or simply with a sense of paranoia? When I look out my window, when I walk around the neighbourhood, when I take the dog for a run in the dog park, I meet nothing but thoroughly good people. And that's how I choose to view the immediate world around me. I don't watch TV; I don't read local news media for the most part; I base my perception of my immediate world based on my experience of it. And my experience of Olympia as an overall neighbourhood, and the upper eastside in particular, has been, with the exception of a crusty neighbour here and there, really awesome. Oly is simply different. My neighbours across the street have run their own their own construction company and have been so giving in their insights on how we could remodel the beaten up old 1920 house we just bought; another neighbour is a professional hippie who works at Evergreen, and whom within minutes of meeting I was openly discussing the removal of fences and planning a more open-architecture neighbourhood with. Like-minded people, all wanting to work together to get to know their neighbours better. Most of us have kids, or plan to have kids, and we almost all recognize that the modern American society of social isolation is a totally bullshit way to leave. We've all done it, we (almost) all know it's bullshit, and we (almost) all want to change; change back to how things used to be as a community, and change forward to how things could be as a new community in the future.
For our part, we're trying to create something akin to "The Commons" that Jonathan Rowe wrote about in his now decade-old article:
http://dorjeworks.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/dorje-w...
We're working on building an "ecovillage", for lack of a better description at the moment, across the street from the dog park (not wanting to post our address on the internet, obviously, but anybody who's local will be able to identity where we are). Community involvement in this is key for us. We welcome any and all to stop by to just say hi or to pitch in and help with our little vision of helping create the vision of "The Commons".
Thanks again for the article. As you said: Never underestimate the power of a determined group of citizens. I couldn't agree more. Don't let fear, which is often perception instead of reality, be a barrier to allowing that idea to flourish. :)
Another great article Bill, The description of how people can work together to accomplish what the govt will not is so true. I have said for many years what we nee is more citizens standing up and taking responsibility for their lives again.
I was part of my neighborhood association too, and it is amazing how much you can accomplish when you can band together. Many people were afraid of joining because they were worried we would start dictating color schemes, etc. Nope, our goal was just to keep the crime out and make it a better neighborhood. We simply didn't have enough volunteers to keep it going.
Sounds like we grew up in the same time frame. Enjoyed your hub.
Great hub Bill. I grew up in a neighborhood like this in rural Pennsylvania. Unfortunatley things are not like this anymore. I raised my sons in a poor rural community in SC and it was unsettling. I will not raise my young daughter there because it is just unreal. Great thought provoking hub! It takes a village. :)
I can remember when we slept with our windows up ( The night air was wonderful ) The kids played in the park without fear. Everyone sat out on their porches at night with no thought of a mugger. Those were the good old days..Great hub..Enjoyed reading..
I have lived in my neighborhood since 1974 and when I was little, I played with the neighbor kids and had a great time. Now that I'm grown, I never talk to the neighbors and with the ones I have now, I rather keep to myself! There's not much crime, but one neighbor and her family have shouting matches and another neighbor has parties ever night where everyone invited can't speak unless they utter a curse word every other word!
I hope that the neighborhood project in Olympia is a wonderful success!
What an inspiring example of community spirit! Thanks for showing us that the good old days can be right now. Love it!
Thank you for a positive hub that shows people making a difference within their own neighborhood. I enjoy your writings.
bill....I enjoyed this hub immensely. However, being of the Loner/Hermit breed, I am not a neighbor-needing type of gal. Anytime I have had neighbors, they've been nice, friendly people (casual, a wave here and there) so I have been fortunate.
For the past 10 years, I've been where I have only a distant neighbor to my west, and a house across the 4-Lane highway.....pretty far...and only wooded area behind me and a CREEK on my east.. (There's that CREEK again). I love it this way. The fewer neighbors, the more I like it. Nosy neighbors, busy-bodies and people who "DROP-BY" are on my short list!!
I do think it is important for young families (small children) to be in a friendly, helpful & safe neighborhood. The children have playmates and the parents can all keep the kids within eye and ear shot. However, I do not foster neighbors getting too chummy or buddy-buddy. It seems this is where issues can arise and the next thing you know, everyone is building privacy fences around their homes and shutting people out....telling everyone at the grocery store that their neighbor "is an asshole." lol UP ++
Another gem told in your own natural style; you always give me that feeling that you are sat by my side telling me your stories.
It sounds as if you are living the life you want now with that wonderful dream to work towards.
The community spirit sounds so heartwarming and is so nice to know that these values still thrive.
I was going to share a little of the community spirit that thrives right here where we live but no I won't because I think it's too much for a comment and will make a good hub;so that one may be next on the list.
See now then ;I keep telling you how inspiring your work is !!! ha ha!
Thank you again and here's to so many more hubs for us both to share on here.
Take care and enjoy your day.
Eddy.
Hi Bill - our area is similar. We do not have a good neighborhood watch (ok except for the lady that lives in our cul du sac - she sees all! Lol. I think you've depicted many areas in the US. I do not see neighborhood cohesion where I live - in my subdivision it's each man for himself. Weirdest thing. I've lived here for 7 years and everyone keeps to themselves and waves by the mail box. I do have a cop that lives across the street (directly in front of my house) don't know what his name is but the car keeps people away from our corner. Kinda sad isn't it?
All the moms know who I am and often I watch their children and pick them up from school and drop them at home. Now - I don't know them well at all.
I remember the days when neighbors would drop in for a visit unannounced but welcome. People chatted over the fence before going in for the night. Children played in the streets without having to worry about being watched and stalked. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Our neighborhoods are becoming isolation areas and keep us from bonding as a community. Glad you live in such a wonderful neighborhood. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the hope that we can make a difference.
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