We understand that a community leadership meeting for Mahoning Valley community activists will be held on Thursday, November 5. Invitations are being sent this week.
Observation
About 120 people attended this leadership meeting which was held at a restaurant in McKinley Heights.
MVOC is organizing in both Warren and Youngstown. Why wasn't this meeting held at a restaurant in either Warren or Youngstown?
If the MVOC is organizing in both cities, why wouldn't they meet somewhere in the middle?
FWIW, using google maps I see that McKinley Heights is 7.3 miles from Youngstown and 7.1 miles from Warren.
:) I think it was quite OK to meet where we did. Granted it was neither in Warren nor Youngstown but right in between as Why?Town posted :laugh: I believe in Regionalization - don't you ? I also believe in being a good neighbor - don't you ? IF people in Warren and Youngstown team up to form a cooperative group then how could you possibly exclude the area in between ??? albeit THEIR OWN Neighbors as cities :o AND Counties also. :o
Just because 'the restaurant' was not in either city that does not mean the owner/s do not live in either Warren or Youngstown or the workers either. I would see your point if it were held in lets say ummm Boardman, Austintown, Howland or some other high faulting snuburb that was not "in between" both Youngstown and Warren. Lighten up Jay and just think about it - if you don't agree then I would suggest you just "LIGHTEN UP" :-*
If the aim of the organization is to help Warren and Youngstown, then help the cities by spending your group's money in one of those communities.
Jay, you have an odd way of looking at things. Now if this group had met in Cleveland then I would say that there is a problem. But to make an issue about where a group meets at when that meeting takes place within the Mahoning Valley is simply splitting hairs. Where in the name "Mahoning Valley Organizing Committee" does it say "Youngstown and Warren ONLY and to hell with the surrounding suburbs"?
From the MVOC website main page:
"MVOC is a grassroots community organizing initiative dedicated to improving the quality of life in urban neighborhoods in the Youngstown and Warren region."
On their "about" page they go even farther:
MVOC is a broad-based community organizing effort that seeks to reweave the fabric of communities in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties.
I believe all of the invited "leaders" at last night's event were representatives of groups and block watches working within Warren and Youngstown.
Some people complain about teens not having anything to do, teens hanging out on street corners, and the lack of jobs for teens. If the event was held in Warren or Youngstown, perhaps some of these inner city teens could have been employed serving food in the hometown restaurant (and paying city taxes).
I was there and waited for dessert to come and it never did!!!!!!
Anyway, it was a very good meeting and it was wonderful to be in a room full of 120 or so people who only want to improve Youngstown and Warren.
The meeting place was fine with me, halfway between the two cities. If it was in Boardman, Poland, Canfield or Austintown, then I would have a problem.
Last time I checked, Boardman, Poland, Canfield and Austintown are all in the Mahoning Valley. Why is McKinley Heights OK but those four are not? How about Girard, Mineral Ridge, or Niles? Or even Cortland, Bazetta, Sebring, or New Middletown?
Youngstown, Youngstown , Youngstown. And now thanks to this thread we can add at least one Warren.
While it's true that Youngstown and Warren need the most help, without all the surrounding communities, what do you have left?
Two cities that need help.
The location was geographically between the two cities. The other places aren't. It was a logical choice to me.