Officials, citizens working on new ‘watch’

BY CINDY TOOPES COURIER STAFF WRITER

August 21, 2008 12:38 am

— OTTUMWA — City officials and Make Ottumwa Shine members are working on a project some have called the “rebirth” of Neighborhood Watch.
Health Director Jody Gates said Wednesday the group had planned a communitywide meeting for Sept. 25 but the Bridge View Center isn’t available then and neither is Gerald Schnepf, executive director of Keep Iowa Beautiful.
“We have to reschedule. I want [Schnepf’s] Broken Windows presentation as part of the agenda,” Gates said Wednesday. “Schnepf will explain the problem broken windows are in a community and what can result.”
Schnepf won’t be the only speaker. Gates said Police Chief Jim Clark is also involved and would talk about Neighborhood Watch and what it’s designed to handle. Reporting criminal activity was the main focus of the prior program.
“In many areas, [the problem] is not so much crime as it is blight,” she added.
Other speakers would include former west-end Neighborhood Watch activists, such as Sandi Tiegs and John Hunolt.
“They can share their Neighborhood Watch experience from years ago and tell how it helped their areas, how it evolved,” Gates said.
Also on the agenda will be discussion of other programs, such as one that focuses on cleanups and another that works with beautification and neighborhood awards.
“There are choices and options if you feel you want to band together with other neighbors and do something to continue the positive things in your area,” Gates said.
During the Neighborhood Watch years, the city distributed contact numbers for certain problems, such as street lights not working or junked cars in the area, she added.
The group met July 31 and Aug. 14 and named their effort “Make Ottumwa Shine Everyday.” Gates chaired the meeting and said city leaders wanted to “gauge interest in reactivating a neighborhood-watch type of program. Some wondered about calling the program “neighborhood watch” due to past experience by those who participated in it.
“Some thought Neighborhood Watch was readily identifiable and people understand that program,” she said. “Others thought a new program shouldn’t be limited to just a watch but be expanded to include community improvement, cleanup and a neighborhood welcome program.”
Gates said the communitywide meeting “would conclude” by asking those interested in starting a neighborhood program to sign up and leave contact information. Then, a second meeting to help organize groups and distribute information would be scheduled for October.
Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com.

For your information
For more information about Make Ottumwa Shine Everyday, contact Health Director Jody Gates by e-mail at gatesj@ci.ottumwa.ia.us or call 683-0694.