My last Our Petaluma Weblog was titled, “Are we losing our sense of community? Well, if yesterday’s tribute to Jim Carr on his retirement as the Director of the City of Petaluma Parks and Recreation Department for over 16 years is any indication, it is very much alive in our river town.
Close to 250 friends, family and colleagues gathered to recognize Jim’s accomplishments as a professional in the recreation industry for over34 years. His many achievements and hours of community service are way to many to document in this post. All the established sectors of our community were represented by speakers who recalled humorous anecdotes, as well as pay tribute to his “tireless efforts, integrity, and commitment” to the various communities where he has left a legacy that transcends just doing his job. Bottom line: the spirit of this community was very much in evidence as the community and the honoree exchanged compliments.
Upon closer examination of the community groups represented, it became apparent that Jim interacted with these organizations, agencies, and institutions on a face-to-face basis, plus the fact that there was good communication between these groups via their committees, newsletters, and other forms of information and communication technologies. The structure of many of these groups are such that there are frequent opportunities for the participants to become better acquainted and thereby develop a sense of comradeship that enables the group to move forward toward achieving its desired goals and objectives.
Since I’ve been on a soapbox asking how we might build a stronger sense of community, I could not help but look for “lessons” that could be learned from someone’s life that has been devoted to serving his community in a variety of ways. I ended up asking myself, how might we identify some of the ingredients that established institutions use successfully and transfer them into to that segment of a community that doesn’t have such a structure – our neighborhoods.
The following action plan that has been created recently and is currently being launches as a pilot effort to see if the same “sense of community” exhibited at Jim’s retirement celebration might be replicated, in a small way, through Neighborhood Action Groups. We start by asking you, our readers –
Are You Ready To Be a “Sparkplug?”
Once again, this question is being asked as the result of a series of Weblogs that have been posted on Petaluma360 over the past several weeks. The residents of our community have gradually become more aware – thanks to letters to the editor, guest columns, and comments made in public before the City Council – of a variety of issues and problems. These concerns are NOT the same for all the neighborhood clusters that make up our “river town.” Now what?The key question is, what can be done about addressing and solving them if the city’s budget is tight, and the funds just aren’t sufficient to provide the human and material resources necessary to get the job done?
Once again, one approach is to make greater use of the knowledge and creativity of the citizens who have voiced these needs and form local Neighborhood Action Groups. Review some of my earlier blogs, as well as looking at http://www.petalumaopen.net
What is a Neighborhood Action Group? It may consist of a cluster of homes that share the same cul-de-sac, a block of families, or an entire residential development. These self-identified clusters of neighbors will get-together and identify the top 1-2-3 concerns for their area.
What is a Sparkplug? This title is given to the one or two individuals who “ignite” the interest of their fellow neighbors and bring them together for a face-to-face gathering in order to become better acquainted and facilitate the process that results in coming up with their cluster’s top priorities.
What happens next? Due to the fact that all the neighborhoods may not identify the same list of concerns, each cluster continues to talk about a plan of action and the resources they need to mobilize in order to carry out their plan. In addition to continuing the face-to-face get-togethers from time to time, it is recommended that each neighborhood set up an electronic neighborhood network or conference board for use by those residents with Internet connectivity. Such a network can be set up in minutes and it is free. Hopefully, one or two neighbors will volunteer to serve as “moderators.”
What are current examples of neighborhood concerns?
- Graffiti and vandalism
- Abandoned shopping carts
- Overdue parking of vehicles
- Under-age drinking and use of drugs
- Inactive Neighborhood Watch programs
- Emergency communications and preparation
- Speeding and reckless driving in residential areas
- Damaged and poorly maintained public facilities and areas
We’ve had these problems for years; so what? That may be true, but Petaluma is growing and is no longer a small river town. In many areas, neighbors no longer associate with one another. If we continue to live, in denial, and choose not to communicate with each other and our city officials about these concerns, we will gradually lose our local connections and things will fall apart. Bottom line: we lose our sense of community (period).
How do I learn how to walk the walk! If you wish to become involved in protecting and enhancing Petaluma’s spirit of community, please participate in one of the public information forums that will be held at various times and locations throughout the city over the next couple of months. Your participation in one of these orientation sessions will NOT commit you to any course of action, at this time. The main purpose is to provide additional information about Project OPEN Our Petaluma Electronic Network) and the role of a neighborhood sparkplug.
How do I step up to the plate? Send your name and e-mail address to this blogger, whammer@petalumanet.org to receive an announcement and schedule of the Neighborhood Action Group orientation meetings. (Your personal information will be kept confidential and not be shared with anyone else.)
If you have any questions and wish to talk over the phone, call 762-6593.
Help Petaluma become a better community