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The Community Improver June 1966
Vol. IV

      
The Community Improver, June 1966
Special Collections, D.H. Ramsey Library, UNCA

Housing Authority of the City of Asheville

This issue of The Community Improver begins with a biography of Leilani Littlejohn, the secretary-receptionist of the Asheville Redevelopment Commission. It continues with an update on the diagnostic survey being conducted in East Riverside (see Inside East Riverside) and announcements about a public hearing on the Urban Renewal Plan and on the approved submission of the Urban Renewal Plan for East Riverside to the federal government. Another article summarizes the Chamber of Commerce meeting, with quotations from James W. Greer, the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Commission. Greer spoke of urban blight as a cancer, explaining, “Deterioration of housing in a neighborhood is to the health of the whole community what cancer cells are to the health of a person. Without treatment, blight spreads…left alone, blight will engulf all of East Riverside.”

The next article compares urban renewal to the space program, arguing that both are big and important projects that require great amounts of time, energy, and money.  The article stresses that, though the project will cost $10 million dollars, only $1 million will come from Asheville, with the difference being made up by the federal government. Other articles report on the activities of South French Broad High School and Livingston Street School; thank Mrs. Sandar Szittya for teaching a typing course for adults; remind readers to dial “0” in case of a fire or police emergency; and announce the YWCA Summer Camp schedule.

JUNE, 1966
VOL. IV

ASHEVILLE IS ON THE MOVE...PROGRESS THROUGH COMMUNITY EFFORT
                 
Rehabilitation Office
86 Livingston Street
Phone: 253-4745

THE COMMUNITY IMPROVER

May We Introduce . . .
     Leilani Littlejohn was born in The Bronx, New York City, but was reared in Asheville where she attended and graduated from St. Anthony's Parochial School. She later attended Notre Dame Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, but returned to Asheville where she completed her high school education at Allen High School, in 1955. Leilani then went to New York City where she became employed by the R. H. Macy Company and was employed there for several years. During this time she attended secretarial school furthering her skills in secretarial work. She has worked in the secretarial-receptionist field since her graduation in 1955.
     Miss Littlejohn is now employed as secretary-receptionist with the Asheville Redevelopment Commission where her professional demeanor and winning personality are an asset to the Rehabilitation Office.

DIAGNOSTIC SURVEY PROGRESSES
     Thirty-five surveyors have been selected to conduct the East Riverside Diagnostic Survey. The survey will begin Monday, June 6. We ask for your cooperation in this important program.

PUBLIC HEARING
     A Public Hearing will be held in the Court House on May 31, 1966, in Room 409, at 7:30 p. m. The Urban Renewal Plan for East Riverside will be discussed, and everyone will have a chance to voice an opinion. This is your opportunity to see first-hand exactly what is being proposed and to be heard on the matter. More than any other single group of citizens in Asheville, the East Riverside families will benefit from this program. The East Riverside Project needs your support at this meeting.

URBAN RENEWAL PLAN SUBMITTED
     At a meeting of the Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday, May 17, the Urban Renewal Plan for the Redevelopment of East Riverside was approved for submission to the Federal Government. What this means is that the program for East Riverside is on its way towards being endorsed. Before the project actually gets under way, the citizens of Asheville must be heard at the public hearing to be held May 31, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 409 of the County Court House, the City Council must approve it; and a bond issue will probably be held to provide the city's share of the cost. All of this will be accomplished by December of this year — if the citizens of East Riverside and other citizens of Asheville join in support of this program.

     On Wednesday, May 18, the "Mountain Boomer" Club, an offshoot of the Chamber of Commerce, held a regular breakfast meeting. The program was presented by the Redevelopment Commission. Photographs of some of the conditions in East Riverside were shown along with a plan to renew the area. James W. Greer, Executive Director of the Commission, spoke for a few minutes concerning the blight and deterioration that are present in the area, and gave his opinion as to how the area might best be redeveloped. Concerning urban blight, he said:
          I can think of no better illustration for the effects of urban blight than the well-used comparison  
          with cancer. Deterioration of housing in a neighborhood is to the health of the whole community
          what cancer cells are to the health of a person. Without treatment, blight spreads... left alone,    
          blight will engulf all of East Riverside.
     He further stated that:
          The only answer at this point for the cancer of urban blight in East Riverside is major surgery
          and rehabilitation. The pockets of decay must be cut out. The weak areas must be given a
          chance to revitalize themselves.
     Mr. Greer indicated that the costs of renewal would be only about 1-1/4 million dollars compared with its total cost of about 10 million dollars. He said further that this project would bring in additional new construction of private and low-rental housing costing about 10 million dollars more — at no cost to the City of Asheville. Therefore, the East Riverside area will receive the benefits of 20 million dollars worth of renewal at a cost to the city of a little more than 1 million dollars. He said, "It doesn't require the new math to tell us that this is a good exchange of money."
     As fortunate as Asheville is in the financial arrangements for the East Riverside Program, Mr. Greer was quick to state that financial considerations are not the main reason for the project. He said:
          Specifically, the prime consideration for the East Riverside Project is the opportunity of
          improving the living conditions of almost 5,000 citizens of the City of Asheville. (The people
          who live in East Riverside)
     In closing, he commented:
          I know that in East Riverside there is a nucleus of proud and intelligent citizens . . . who would
          seize the opportunity of transforming their neighborhood, if it were offered.
          The Urban Renewal plan offers East Riverside this opportunity.

     URBAN RENEWAL is a little like the American space program. Our country has launched a series of rockets and tried a number of experiments in order to reach the moon and advance modern science. The moon program has taken and will take months of planning and experiment and action and infinite patience. It is a big and important project.
     In East Riverside, we are not trying to reach the moon, although it might seem like it to look at our extensive plans and surveys. But we are involved in a big and important project. This program involves our homes and our everyday lives. And it will take patience.
     A big step forward has just been made. The plan for East Riverside has been submitted to the Federal Government. This plan is the result of months of study and hundreds of visits with the residents of East Riverside.
     This plan includes better streets, new storm drainage to keep Southside and Depot from flooding in heavy rains, two new parks, new houses, a new fire station — and "Nasty Branch" will be cleaned up.
     Many old and unsafe houses must be taken down. The owners of these houses will be helped to find a good place to live that is safe and clean. The moving expenses of these people will be paid, and in some cases, a "relocation adjustment payment" may also be paid by the Redevelopment Commission. The houses these people will move into will be "standard", that is, they will be screened, will be heated, and will have good plumbing with hot and cold running water.
     The Redevelopment Commission will do its best to help the people that are displaced find places to live that are suitably located. Since there will be many new houses built in the area, this should not be hard to do.
     This program will be very expensive. It will cost about 10 million dollars. But only a little more than one million dollars of this money will come from Asheville. The federal government will make up the difference. There are other costs that cannot be counted in dollars. Some people will be inconvenienced in having to move from houses they have lived in for many years.
     Other people may dislike the necessity of repairing their homes. But to renew an old neighborhood, to make our homes safer and our neighborhood better, and to give our children better places to play, live, and grow up in, we feel is worth the trouble we'll be taking.
     We expect that actual work can begin on the East Riverside Area in the early part of 1967. At that time, the Redevelopment Commission will begin to approach the owners of the property to be acquired. There is just a certain amount of space in East Riverside, and Asheville's "space program" is designed to make the best use of it.

SOUTH FRENCH BROAD HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS
     The 1966 Senior Class of South French Broad High School will present its class night program on Friday evening, June 3, at 8:00 p.m. in the Lee H. Edwards Auditorium.
     The class will hold its Vesper Service on Sunday afternoon, June 5, at 4:00 p.m. Dr. G. Gordon Mahy, presently instructor of English at Warren Wilson College, will be the speaker.
     Commencement Exercises will be held on Monday evening, June 6, at 8:00 p.m. in the Asheville City Auditorium. The speaker will be Dr. Kenneth R. Williams, president of Winston-Salem State College. There are 141 candidates for graduation for 1966.

LIVINGSTON STREET SCHOOL PTA ELECTS OFFICERS
     The Livingston Street School PTA held its final meeting of this school year on Tuesday evening, May 17. Mrs. Pauline Seabrook presided over this important meeting at which new officers for the coming year were elected. The new officers are:

President—Mr. Charles Samuel
1st Vice President—Reverend J. T. Jones
2nd Vice President—Mrs. Bertha McAdams
Secretary—Mrs. Marguerite Shivers
Asst. Secretary—Miss Margaret Orr
Chaplain—Miss D. C. Williams
Treasurer—-Miss F. M. Owens
Program Chairman—Miss Pauline Seabrook
Reporter—Mrs. A. M. D. McElrath

IN CASE OF FIRE DIAL "0"
     Sometimes in an emergency people don't think too clearly. It is hard to remember that to report a fire, the number to call is 252-5311 -in order to get the Fire Department. Or to get the help of the Police Department, one should call 252-6411. But it is always well to remember the magic number "0" for Operator. You can always dial "0" and tell the operator the nature of the emergency and the location.

YWCA SUMMER DAY CAMP SCHEDULE
     This year the YWCA has announced that it will expand its "Summer Fun Camp" to include programs at the Skyland Community Center and Weaverville Community Center in addition to the regular camp at 13 Grove Street, so that a greater area may be served. The two community center programs will be coeducational.
     Courses in skills such as crafts, music, dancing, camp craft, nature, swimming, games, land sports, fishing, and boating will be taught, depending upon the facilities available at each location. The hours will be from 9:00 to 3:00 Monday through Friday.
     Later in the summer, an enrichment program will be offered for Junior High age girls. This program will expose the girls to a combination of cultural, social, mental, spiritual, and physical enrichment.
     Information on rates and dates may be obtained by calling 254-4343 or 254-7206.

Redevelopment Commission
of The
City of Asheville
P. 0. Box 7148
604 City Building
Asheville, N. C. 28807