I'd like to get some perspectives about the Bella Vista TownWatch and Bella Vista United Civic Association. What do you think of these organizations? Are they effective and do they adequately address community issues? Does their leadership make any meaningful and consistent contributions to the neighborhood?

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11/28-12/31: MACY'S LIGHT SHOW (10AM-8PM EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR) AND DICKENS VILLAGE (10AM-7PM)
BEST VIEWING TIMES AFTER 4PM

As an active member of Fairmount Townwatch and the Fairmount Civic Association, I'll just put in my two cents about such organizations in general: Nothing irks us more than neighbors who don't take part themselves but then get mad at us because we're not "doing" anything for them and their block.

It's not up to a few people - it's up to everyone who lives there! It's everyone's organization! Don't wait for some group of other people to do things for you...join and get them done yourself!

I'm sure that's not why you asked, nik, but it just reminded me of a pet peeve.

BVUCA,

Sponsors:
- Christmas Light contest. They also light a Christmas tree in Cianfrani Park and rent a trolley to take all those who show up for the lighting to each of the houses that register for the contest and everyone votes on the houses.
- Cianfrani Park cleanup
- Annual Neighbor meetup party.
- Bella Vista Festa - This coincides with the procession of Saints from St Pauls to Mary Magdeline. The festa is a flea market with food vendors and entertainment in the Italian Market.
- Italian Memorial - BVUCA is working to get an Italian Memorial at an old Italian bathhouse/pool near the Italian Market.

I am sure that BVUCA does more than this, but this is all I know of.

-UC

Im the prez of Bella Vista's civic assoc (which includes most of the italian market) and though we live in a great neighborhood with 5 parks, a rec center, retaurants, galleries and the like---trash has been a major issue for us...primarily because City Hall refuses to give us trash cans along or commercial corridors and they refuse to give us a sanitation officer who will issue violations.

SO.....the civic group in Bella Vista hired teams of sidewalk sweepers and trash haulers..and they're removed 500 bags of litter and weeds in about a month's time so far.

And we've also hung decorative banners, planted a few dozen trees, installed information kiosks, started to hold special events and concerts and take our neighbors on monthly trips to the jersey shore....all without a special service district or "BID" , which raises taxes on real estate.


So, that's why we in Bella Vista have decided to give our neighbors much of the services you'd find in a place with a service district--without burdening the middle class merchants and property owners who desperately need every dime just to keep it going.

We have committees that deal with immigrant issues (we recently worked with the south philly review to get them to post the once-omitted vietnamese and mexican restaurants in their Bella Vista dining guide free lsitings); we have a philanthropy committee that delivers about 60 turkeys with all the trimmings to Bella Vistans of modest means...we do an annual toys for Bella Vista tots, we launched the city-wide reasons tostay summits about population loss, we fought for more protection and police presence for south street's mardi gras (though we have preferred a full-fledged mardi gras at festival pier that everyone could enjoy!); we have a new planning committee working to develop an urban plan for the neighborhood so we fight reckless development; we have a newsletter; a website (bvuca.org); we're working to bring another charter school to the community and we do what we can to drive seniors to the new TARGET or to the big SUERFRESH from time to time.

Yes, we have a holiday festival, a holiday house decorating contest, a tree lighting, menorah lighting, a flea market to fund tree planting, a huge spring FESTA and the annual reception that has been the place where Ed Rendell led a konga line and many other notable events took place!

In fact, this year's event is Oct 6th at the Fleisher ARt memorial...and the the whole city is invited as usual---20 bucks at the door for open bar, food buffet and music.

And we do it all on a shoestring.

Instead of relying on a BID, we get our funds the old fashion way--grants, gifts, donations, bake sales---and so far, so good. Bella Vista, including the Italian Market north of Washington, is ALOT cleaner, greener and livable than it was just 4 weeks ago.

And we'll keep on keepin on.

Ciao,
Vern Anastasio

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Reform is on the way......