Progress Update Spring 2011

Abigail Tulip

Beautification

We are thrilled to announce that C4C Dayton will be a part of the beautification of the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor! We will start at the corner of Riverview and work our way north. After Salem Avenue is complete, we will turn our focus to another major corridor and do the same thing. We intend to plant perennials that will look beautiful every year as well as some wave petunias. The petunias are annuals and will need to be replanted each year, but they are so beautiful that it is worth the extra work.

Calling All Dayton Area Residents

Would you like to be a part of this great project? We are currently seeking volunteers to help plant and beautify the area with us. If you have some time and want to spend it doing something to make the city a better place, please let us know.

We are also seeking help with materials. Do you have plants or bulbs that need thinning? Are there any plants you’d like to get rid of for whatever reason? If you would like to put those extra plants to good use, give us a call or send us an email! We can even come out and help you divide, thin, or remove them.

A Note From the Director:

We have some new board members that I’d like to introduce. Julia Fairbanks is the new secretary and Johnny Green is our treasurer. Thanks to the both of you for volunteering to do this work!

I have been doing some soul searching lately regarding funding for C4C Dayton. Many non-profit groups seek grants and other forms of tax funded revenue. We will not be taking this approach. Citizens 4 Change Dayton will be funded through donations from our Dimes 4 Dayton and Dollars 4 Dayton campaigns. In the next several months, you will start to see Dimes 4 Dayton donation jars at local businesses. If you have spare change, please consider dropping it in to help improve our city. The Dollars 4 Dayton campaign is what we’ve decided to call the donation feature on our website. (The idea for the name came from Mayor Leitzell, so I must say Thank You! and give him credit for it.)

Since we are Citizens 4 Change Dayton, I strongly believe that any and all funding should be from Dayton for Dayton. This is in keeping with the spirit and mission of our organization which is that Real People can work together to make Real and Positive Change! This is Dayton taking care of Dayton. Imagine what a great testimony it will be when we say, “Yes, we did all of this with no outside funding. The projects and improvements made have all been supported by the residents of Dayton and the surrounding metro area.”

All of our positions are volunteer positions and none of us receive any compensation for the work we do for C4C Dayton. Therefore, the only costs to the organization will be the cost of materials. For spring and summer 2011, we will be concentrating on beautification and we hope to get enough material donations of plants, wood chips, tools, etc., to get the job done. If it comes together like I expect, it will be a great testament to the power of empowered people.

I’d like to thank you all for your continued support of our efforts. Just by reading our posts and telling others about us, you contribute greatly to our success. Please feel free to post any ideas for improvement or comments you may have for us. This is a community effort and everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in any way they can.

Go Dayton! 

Priority Boards and Citizen Participation

Our most recent poll indicates the need to raise awareness about the Priority Board system in Dayton.

Priority Boards are the official citizen participation forums or vehicles here. They have monthly meetings that are open to the community. I’ve been to a couple of meetings, and I found them very informative. There have been City Commissioners, representatives from Dayton Public Schools, representatives from Dayton Metro Library, local police, and other community members at the meetings I attended.

This system appears to be quite good, except for one thing. In order for the Priority Boards to serve their purpose, citizens need to participate. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a system in place if it isn’t being used. This is not to say that there were no citizens there; there just weren’t as many as there could have been.

Each area of the city has its own Priority Board. You can find information on the Priority Board for your neighborhood here. If you are unsure of which board serves your area, here is a map of Dayton neighborhoods. There are also many neighborhood groups that serve to communicate with the Priority Board.

I encourage you to attend meetings and let your voice be heard. Let them know what problems you see facing your neighborhood, and your ideas for improvement. Your Priority Board is your link to City Hall and it is there to help all citizens be active and engaged in what is going on in their area.

This system has been around since 1975 and has had some good press over the years. Please take some time to read about their history and role in the community. Then, if you have the time and inclination, go to a meeting and get involved!

Progress Update

What a busy few weeks it’s been! I’d like to say thank you to everyone that made it out to see us Friday night. For those of you who couldn’t make it, you missed an enjoyable evening with some great music and good company. We hope to see you in the future!

I am very pleased to announce that we met our goal of raising enough funds to launch our official website! It is still under construction, but you can have a sneak preview by visiting www.citizens4changedayton.com .

We will soon have information posted there about our GROW DAYTON! program which will begin in spring. Please be sure to check back for updates on this exciting project aimed at changing the negative perception about our wonderful city.

I do apologize that this update is so short, but I assure you that everyone involved with C4C Dayton is hard at work. We hope to have our site completed and functional by the middle of next week, so please check there for our most recent updates.

Sincerely,

Anne Moore

Flyer - The Take Over!

The Take Over!!

Citizens 4 Change Dayton, Inc. will be having our first fundraiser (The Take Over) on Friday, February 11, 2011. It will be at The 88 Club from 10pm to 3am. We'll have our flyers out soon with more details so be on the look-out!
Hopefully many of you can make it out to support our organization so we can make a big difference in Dayton this year! Go Dayton Go!