[Mpls] Ventura Village Annual Meeting

[RAlbee4045]

Peaches Cook (Charles Baker of Powerhorn) wrote:

I understand that B Sabri and PPL are gathering the troops for a take over of the Ventura Village Neighborhood orgainzation at the next annual meeting. The last count I had was around 200 people. I hope that whatever happens, the people who are not re-elected to the board continue to participate so that the organization survives as a democratic institution...now it's time to step aside and let new blood see what they can do. Also, no matter who is on the board, they will have to continue to contend with Grahms and others who will make them dot their I's and cross their T's.

I replied regarding "somebody from another neighborhood" taking such an interest in our neighborhood etc.

Soooo... Here's the lowdown: I attempted to post to the issues forum a detailed letter about this situation, but either the letter was so strong or was Mr Sabri and PPL that it brought the whole Issues Forum to a halt. Of course it got up and running just a couple of hours before the Ventura Village Annual Meeting, but low and behold, my explanatory post had disappeared despite all efforts to get it aboard, so to speak. So here's what I wrote:

  � In truth, I hope that the lack of reaction by [Mpls Issues Forum] list members merely suggests that this little item flew under their radar. Imagine nobody being concerned about the hostile takeover of their neighborhoods by non-residents and a non-profit corporation.

  �� A bit more than a decade ago in Wisconsin, we worked hard to assure American Indian tribal members that they could exercise their hunting and fishing rights as recognized by the US Supreme Court. This despite the opposition of non-Indians who staged protests at boat landings to disrupt lawful spearfishing activities. It became a dangerous place, but much less so when "witnesses" showed up to help document the unlawful activities of the spearfishing protesters.

  � Given the fact that some of the same people threatening to take over Ventura Village were successful at doing so in the Central Neighborhood and allegedly caused a considerable amount of chaos in the cash drawer, we residents have much to be concerned about. We just learned that a similar attempt was made recently by some of the same people in the Whittier Neighborhood. Evidently, Ventura Village is simply another opportunity to try to stage a takeover. As a resident, I have asked the elected officials of Ventura Village to contact the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) to provide fiscal vigilance; contact the Minnesota Attorney General's office, the US Department of Justice and the FBI to send representives to ensure that a hostile takeover does not occur that violates the rights of anybody.

  � I am also asking all concerned neighborhoods and non-profit organizations to send at least one "witness" to Ventura Village's Annual Meeting on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30 PM at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 1115 East 19th Street.

  � In earlier meetings, residents of the Central Neighborhood who were part of the takeover there, came into a monthly Ventura Village meeting and accused local residents of opposing a mosque, when issues regarding a mosque had never been brought forward except for unanimous support by Ventura Village residents for a Somali-owned market that could have possibly contained a mosque. Charges of racism were also leveled at assembed residents and there was considerable shouting and disruptive behavior. These people quickly left when the police were called.

  In terms of Project for Pride in Living, the organization's leaders are not much concerned about what residents of a neighborhood think, because in their long history they believe that they know better than residents what is good for a community. I say this because PPL has consistently ignored neighborhood votes and suggestions regarding their properties and have ignored residents/neighbors concerns regarding the management of their current properties.

  � Several months ago, a Somali elder got up and spoke at a Ventura Village meeting and asked the neighborhood to censure PPL for their treatment of Somalis. The subsequent vote on his request passed almost unanimously. Now get this, we at the American Indian Community Development Corporation have successfully partnered with PPL on our Anishinabe Wakiagun project, but we have never lost a vote at a community meeting in our 12 year history. That's because we do listen and interact respectfully with the neighborhood where we are conducting development activities for American Indian people.��

   If the takeover of Ventura Village by these people is successful, PPL might then attempt to stop a lawsuit that Ventura Village filed against PPL some months ago regarding their CVI project that the neighborhood consistently voted against. When PPL showed every sign of continuing regardless of neighborhood concerns.� PPL simply bullied ahead; go look for yourself. Despite the lawsuit, they have commenced construction as fast as they could and then pled with the court that they would lose millions of dollars if they were required to stop construction by the court.

  Both Allen Arthur at Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) and Dick Brustad at Brighton Development have asserted publicly that their organizations will only conduct development activities when it is supported by the host neighborhood. I have always believed this to be the only way that non-profit developers should behave in neighborhood development activities.

  Policemen will be hired to monitor conduct of attendees of the Annual Meeting, so there is little danger to your personal safety if you choose to attend. The League of Woman Voters will also be on hand to ensure that the credentials of each "voter" is checked and verified before voting takes place. Once proceedings are underway, all non-members of Ventura Village will not be allowed to speak. All activities will be recorded on broadcast-quality professional video so that if there is any misconduct on the part of anybody, it will be of sufficient quality, both audio and video-wise to be admissable in a court of law or to be submitted to investigative government agencies. Rules of conduct and voting will be written out in English and Somali to ensure that participants understand how the meeting is to be conducted.

  � If you are able to attend as a witness, please acknowledge your intention to me at this email site, because Ventura Village does not have paid staff to answer any the calls we get.� Special "Witness" badges will be provided to you to identify your presence at the meeting. Thank you very much (Miigwetch)!
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Although the "server" was down, we used Plan B to get the word out and we did have a number of reps from other neighborhoods attend as witnesses. I will use the next post to tell you what.....happened. So Mr. Peaches stay tuned...

Robert Albee, Ventura Village