South Side group learns about reinvestment group, Applegate, Community Court

Jason Caya, Peter Wills, Melissa Schroeck and Katie Snyder were the speakers at the South Side Business and Resident Association meeting Jan. 17. Caya is the manager of the Flint Area Reinvestment Office (FARO). Wills is the general manager of Applegate Chevrolet. Schroeck and Snyder, Genesee County Prosecutor's Office, run the Community Court at Brennan Community Center.

Cava said FARO specializes in community and economic development. His short-term mission is to help local organizations to identify, access and use federal and state funding available to the community.

FARO's long-term mission is to assist the community in developing a regional strategy to develop economic recovery activities with the emphasis on public-private collaborations.

Caya can help organizations to write grant requests.

For example, Caya was involved in getting funding for Flint's master plan that will ensure that there are community meetings that will allow public involvement.

Caya got a grant for Priority Children, 924 Cedar St., for $212,000 to coordinate and for administrative oversight of the Flint Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. This program, a collaboration of more than 40 local agencies, seeks to improve the health, safety and well-being of low-income children and their families through assessment and remediation of substandard housing conditions. The Green and Healthy Homes Initiative is coordinated nationally through the National Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.

Wills, Applegate Chevrolet general manager, told the group the company, which is the only new car dealership within Flint boundaries, has no plans to leave Flint. Wills said he is a local product.

"I went to Freeman School and I've been employed at Applegate since 1985," he said.

"Although Flint gets bad press regarding crime, it is not as high as you may think in this neighborhood." Wills added, "We believe the lower incidence of neighborhood crime is the result of the activity of the South Side Business and Resident Association, as well as the crime watch organization put in place by this group."

Wills said he is a member of the Code Red Alert System, that is a telephone computerized neighborhood notification system which can be activated by any member at any time.

Melissa Schroeck and Katie Snyder, Genesee County Prosecutor's Office, talked about Community Court. People decide the outcome of first-time, non-violent offenders. The defenders must plead guilty to participate. Most offenders who participate in the program are between the ages of 14 and 40.

Offenders who complete the program have charges removed from their record. Community Court meets at 4 p.m. the fourth Thursdays of the month. The prosecuting attorney acts as the judge, and Schroeck and Snyder function as probation officers.

Dan Smith talked about community block grant funds and compared the way Flint and Grand Rapids use their dollars. He said the best idea was to start in one area and develop that area instead of citywide.

"Unfortunately, this was shot down by the city councilmen," Smith said. "Grand Rapids has used this approach and you can see the effects of the dollars spent."

Ilene Powell, crime watch and Code Red coordinator, said no one is calling in neighborhood crime alerts. Powell said people should get involved to help make the neighborhood safe.

She requested Serge Thomas, newly appointed sergeant for the South Side Task Force, to contact her to collaborate on ideas to get neighbors involved.

Sheery Houston, vice president of developmental business at Channel 25 in Clio, said the station is hiring sales people who she trains.

She also said that Bill Harris will join Channel 25 on Jan. 30. He will be headlining the 6 p.m. news. Harris joins Joel Fyke who is already part of the early morning news program. Both moved from abc12.

International Academy of Flint is featuring a Saturday breakfast program for the Flint community between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. every Saturday. Everyone is welcome. Doors open at 9 a.m. Enter the front doors nearest the school sign on Saginaw Street. Call Art Wenzlaff at (810) 600-5261 for information about the program.