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"PUTTING WABASSO BACK ON THE MAP" Winner of a 2007 Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Award

Winner of a 2007 H.O.P.E.  Worksite/Community/Youth Mini-Grant

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
July 2007 PACE EH Report

To:              Daniel Parker, MSP
                    Assistant Division Director, Division of Environmental Health

From:          Julianne Price, Environmental Specialist

Through:     Cheryl L. Dunn, RS, Environmental Manager

Subject:      July 2007 Fellsmere PACE EH Grant Update

“Absence diminishes commonplace passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and kindles fire.” –Duc de la Rochefoucauld  I didn’t get to spend much time in the Fellsmere community this month because I was traveling so much; however, the time spent in the community was concentrated and extremely productive. I found that time away made me focus on what truly needed to be accomplished this month. For example, on June 16^th a large group of volunteers gathered to gut a house which is to be rebuilt Nov. 10^th. On that same day I held a community meeting and then afterwards arranged for a house to be demolished, also which will be rebuilt Nov. 10^th. At the community meeting, there was a lot of open dialogue and city officials were present to listen firsthand to residents’ concerns. Issues such as housing, park improvements, increasing participation in city meetings, and the theme of residents banding together to improve their community seem to be reoccurring at each community meeting. The open dialogue is valuable at this stage in the PACE EH process and will provide a solid foundation for participation in solving the issues in the near future.  

I was able to gather about thirty surveys from the Fellsmere community and personally met many of the residents this month. The demolition project is directly related to the recently developed project to address substandard housing which we have collectively named, “Extreme Challenge: Two Homes, One Day.” A website has been designed to explain the project at: www.everydreamhasaprice.com

Two houses will be built in one day in the PACE project area on Nov. 10^th of this year. At the demolition, the mayor of Fellsmere was present, Detective Floyd from the Indian River Co. Sheriff’s Dept., a Reverend from the local church, as were the builders of the two homes and about forty volunteers from Indian River and St. Lucie counties. A lady in the community cooked for all the volunteers and it proved to be a monumental day in Fellsmere where residents, volunteers, and government officials came together to work as one to improve the community.

 The official word was released to us in July that we will be receiving an apprentice, Mr. Clay Weiss, who will be involved with the Fellsmere PACE EH project. I have extended the survey process another month (August) so that he may experience this part of PACE EH.

June 18, 2007

MEMORANDUM

TO : Captain Paul Fafeita

From : Sergeant Perry Pisani

Re : Possible problems at
Fellsmere Community Meeting

At your request, I attended the Fellsmere Community Meeting which was held on June 16th. At 11:00 am at Grant Park. You indicated that you thought there may be some problems from participants. Listed below are my observations.

I arrived at the two demolition sites located on State Street at approximately 10:45 am. There was a crowd of about thirty people enjoying a vast array of down home soul food. Deputy Teddy Floyd introduced me to all the key people involved with the project.

I then proceeded to Grant Park for the Community Meeting. Just under twenty residents were in attendance. The rest of the persons there were involved with the project itself. Deputy Teddy Floyd and Julian Price opened the meeting talking about the project’s participants and the World Changers organization. It was announced that the two homes would be built on October 6, 2007.

Next Lenora Quimby from the School Board spoke. She had very little to say other than if anyone had any questions to please contact the Board Member from Fellsmere. One resident raised a concern about speeders nears bus stops. In particular, the intersection of State Street and Willow St.. (130th. Street.). The only other question that was raised came from Minister Brown. She asked that the new Middle School be built in Fellsmere rather than Sebastian. She felt it was unfair to have to bus kids out of Fellsmere.

Margo Strickland who is the Indian River Housing Coordinator spoke next. She gave out applications for no interest loans to improve housing.

Julian Price introduced me at this time. She also asked for the Sheriff’s Office to do what it could to assist the Fellsmere Police Department with the drug and crime problem in their city. I assured the residents that our Selective Enforcement Team was already in the process of assisting with drugs and gang related problems. They were very happy with that response and applauded. There was no negativity leveled towards the Sheriff’s Office.

The meeting concluded with prayer. At this time the demolition began. In general, it was a very well organized and productive meeting with absolutely no problems.
 

Clearly specify the PACE EH Task you have worked on, are currently working on including future plans to complete Tasks.  How close are you to achieving your outlined goal for the assessment?

Outline some of the challenges you face in implementing PACE EH in your selected community.  Express any difficulties, challenges or opportunities you may have encountered with other Government Agencies, business entities and/or Community organizations, during this reporting period.  Elaborate on how you plan to address these emerging issues.

The city of Fellsmere has been extremely supportive in listening to the residents concerns and issues. At the June 16^th meeting there was heated dialogue regarding notification of meetings and community improvements such as the desire for a community center located within the Hall Carter James Subdivision. Residents also are identifying the need for a restroom in their park, also, but this does not appear to be a highly contested issue. The dialogue is certainly part of solving the issues and important for all parties involved to understand why such improvements are being requested. It’s the “why” that we must listen to at this point and this is always a challenge. The project is progressing swiftly and much has been accomplished as compared to our previous PACE project in Wabasso.

The following files are provided in the Adobe Acrobat pdf format. Files over 100 kb in size that may take longer to download and view, have their file size listed.

June 17, 2007 - Community Program helps out with homes in Fellsmere

May 20, 2007 - Two new homes part of Indian River County's health

May 8, 2007 - Low-income residents to rank top five issues with neighborhood

April 27, 2007 - Health Department to help with facelift

April 19, 2007 - Fellsmere subdivision residents share concerns about homes

March 22, 2007 - Blighted area to become focus in Fellsmere

March 7, 2007 - Documentary will feature improvements in West Wabasso

January 5, 2007 - West Wabasso should begin getting county water today

January 3, 2007 - Wabasso water hook-ups ready

December 24, 2006 - Water for West Wabasso pushed to new year

December 2, 2006 - Can West Wabasso's Pipes Take the Pressure?

November 24, 2006 - West Wabasso may get county water in time for Christmas

August 27, 2006 - Volunteers build home in a day for Wabasso's 'Big Mama'

May 6, 2006 - County: West Wabasso Will Say Goodbye to 'Brown Water'

April 13, 2006 - West Wabasso's long road to county water about to end

February 18, 2006 - West Wabasso finds success in long quest for county water

January 23, 2006 - Gospel Fest to raise money for hurricane repairs in Wabasso

December, 2005 - In My Opinion: West Wabasso Assessment Project Update (From the Florida Journal of Environmental Health)

October 10, 2005 - West Wabasso residents rejoice over water project

October 7, 2005 - West Wabasso to get county water

September 20, 2005 - Indian River County replaces septic tanks for 10 families in west Wabasso

July 8, 2005 - Indian River health officials receive national award

June, 2005 - Spring 2005 PACE Progress Report for the Wabasso Environmental Assessment (380 kb) (From the Florida Journal of Environmental Health)

June 17, 2005 - World Changers group fixes homes in West Wabasso

June 15, 2005 - Impoverished area to get waterlines

June 12, 2005 - World Changers redo Wabasso

May 1, 2005 - Water System on its way to Wabasso

December 25, 2004 - Woman's work aids west Wabasso residents

October 18, 2004 - Storms stall Wabasso help

September, 2004 - PACE Progress Report for the Wabasso Environmental Assessment (620 kb) (From the Florida Journal of Environmental Health)

September 28, 2004 - Storms run Wabasso family out of own, borrowed homes

August 28, 2004 - Families get new homes

August 11, 2004 - Draft Brochure, Bringing Basic Needs to a Forgotten Community (1.4 meg file)

July 30, 2004 - Kindness rules in Wabasso (109 kb)

July 28, 2004 - Teens team up to build man's house

June 2, 2004 - Indian River seeks aid for water

May 26, 2004 - Groups enlist residents to help revive Wabasso

May 11, 2004 - Wabasso may have to wait a year for street lights to come on

May 9, 2004 - Town hall meeting to address Wabasso's needs