Thanks, Wilma and Kimm, for this fascinating history.
So FoFM was a spinoff from a community association, CPN. But it was not
a spinoff by CPN *leaders*; instead, it was a spinoff by *dissidents*
against a third entity, the Firehouse Market itself, which was itself a
spinoff by CPN leaders
FoWC and FoC were spinoffs of UCHS. However, UCHS is not a "community
association" in the general sense of the word, like CPN or Spruce Hill
Community Association or Powelton Civic Association. Its focus is a
single subject matter -- history -- within a given area. Does anyone
recall any public controversies with regards to these properties?
What all these groups -- along with others like Friends of Walnut St. W.
Library and Friends of Malcolm X Park -- have in common is they formed
around difficult properties. These properties were not able to attract
the kind of investment, either private or public, to maintain them in
ways some in the community wanted. So the 'Friends' groups formed to
lobby for their preservation, restoration or attractive reuse in ways
that were running counter to "the market" -- the contemporary path of
least resistance for those parcels.
-- Tony West
Kimm,
You are correct about the Calvary and the Woodlands being spin-offs of
the UCHS.
I am right about the Friends of the Firehouse Market being a spin-off
of Cedar Park Neighbors and how these groups formed to make sure their
agendas were pushed thorough against the express wishes of the
community, the by-laws of their own organizations, and those who
actually sought to protect the interests of the community.
CPN had a separate Board of Directors for The Firehouse Market. When
this entity sought to protect the community's interest in the Market
instead of one individual's personal desire to wholly own the entity
and remove the community from the business, The Friends was born.
The Market existed primarily because of funds garnered from the
Commonwealth to provide farm fresh PA produce to a neighborhood of
low-to-middle income residents. The building was sold to the
community for the cost of $1 for the same purpose.
Apparently, that was a specious scenario because almost immediately
the Market had no farmers whatsoever and took on a distinct tone quite
different from what the community believed they would get when they
signed the petitions that led to gaining funding.
In fact, when leadership of the Firehouse Market Board was changed
abruptly because it was determined the leader was working contrary to
community interests he was supposed to uphold, "The Friends" bullied
their way into a meeting of the Shareholders', (The CPN Board and the
Firehouse Market Board), *held off-site on someone's private property.*
They proceeded to write scurrilous articles and letters in the UC
Review excoriating the Firehouse Market Board and CPN leadership.
This by far goes beyond social slights, as you put it.
We all know how the story ended. The community lost the Market, the
individual who wanted to have sole ownership gained said ownership and
the Market ultimately failed.
Dock Street Brewery is there now, which attracts a different clientele
than those who live nearby or a bit further west.
This scenario has been played out before and no doubt will again.
Those who will be affected are the only thing that changes, not the
M.O. of those who wish to guide the agenda.
On 2/12/09 1:02 AM, "Kimm Tynan" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Tony,
>
>> I want to make the record clear for UC-list's sake, that, after
>>> reflection, nobody on UC-list can recall a single instance in which a
>>> "Friends of..." group was spun off from a community association in
>>> University City, powerful or otherwise, to achieve any aim,
nefarious or
>>> otherwise.
>
> That's not true. The Friends of Calvary is/was a "spinoff" or
"subgroup" of
> the UCHS. I believe, but could be wrong, that the Friends of the
Woodlands
> is/was as well.
>
>> I don't believe Calvary . . . ever had a "Friends of" group attached
to them.
>
> See above.
>
> Kimm
>
>
>
> On 2/11/09 10:32 PM, "Anthony West" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I'm sure you're right, Wilma. People can be unkind and unfair and cruel
>> to each other in any volunteer association. Social slights like these
>> are always saddening. One always hopes one's group can engage in it as
>> little as possible, but human nature comes with limits.
>>
>> I want to make the record clear for UC-list's sake, that, after
>> reflection, nobody on UC-list can recall a single instance in which a
>> "Friends of..." group was spun off from a community association in
>> University City, powerful or otherwise, to achieve any aim, nefarious or
>> otherwise.
>>
>> Most "Friends of..." groups are created to provide single-interest
>> community backing to public facilities that could benefit from
>> additional input and assistance. Thus we have, in UC alone, Friends of
>> Malcolm X Park and Friends of the Walnut Street West Library. They are,
>> of course, widespread elsewhere and most public institutions welcome and
>> foster them.
>>
>> I don't believe Calvary, the Firehouse Market or University City
>> District ever had a "Friends of" group attached to them. They are really
>> different community institutions, for several different reasons, and
>> often aren't similar to each other either. Community associations are in
>> a separate class of their own, with special features.
>>
>> Friends of 40th St. is kind of platypus, with features taken from many
>> other classes. It too is not without precedents elsewhere, though.
>>
>> -- Tony West
>>
>>
>>> Still, there are community members who have joined the established UC
>>> community organizations over the years, who have pledged many
hours/years
>>> and personal funds, and even slightly neglected their own families and
>>> relationships to support neighborhood issues their very credible
community
>>> leaders charged them to do.
>>>
>>> The point is now many of those who have served faithfully are now
without
>>> the powerful UC Community organizations backed "Friends" to
advocate for
>>> them.
>>>
>>> The hurting thing is the opposing community members to this hotel
project
>>> are desperately trying to uphold the original vision of the
established UC
>>> leaders and community organizations they represent.
>>>
>>> Now they find themselves at cross purposes.
>>>
>>> Any human, even if they do not agree, should understand their sense of
>>> betrayal.
>>>
>>> - W.
>>
>>
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