Hope for better times endure in north Minneapolis' Jordan neighborhood Howie Padilla, Terry Collins and Bill McAuliffe, Star Tribune Published August 11, 2003 Recent violence in north Minneapolis' Jordan neighborhood, including the shooting last month that critically injured 20-month-old Deasha Hazley, reinforces the perception that the area is plagued with drugs, gangs and violence. But signs of hope are evident within the 100-plus city blocks that make up Jordan -- overall serious crime is down from this time last year, and some residents have their eyes on a brighter future. Behind each door is a story.
The Wagners: 'Land of opportunity' Their real estate agent was aghast when Deb and Dennis Wagner bought their home at 27th and Knox Avs. N. But the Wagners wanted a well-built, affordable house and weren't afraid of living in a multiracial neighborhood. They paid off the mortgage in 14 years and live there with their 7-year-old daughter, Alexandra. Deb Wagner now sells homes herself in the neighborhood. Despite crime, poverty and a relative lack of amenities, she calls it a "land of opportunity." "People come to me because they have borderline affordability," she said. "They tell me they want to be on a good block with neighbors they can get to know. I do the best I can. "I do tell people: You have to make the decision for yourself because the neighborhood for me may not be right for you. But heck, if it worked for us, why can't it work for others?" http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4034915.html Posted By Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- __________________________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup CareerBuilder.com has over 400,000 jobs. Be smarter about your job search http://corp.mail.com/careers TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
