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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-2009 Newslettermiff?, MARCH 2009 ' BEND &r MAYOR STEPI Y I, if'UaECk Letter from the Mayor Dear Friends and Neighbors, The slumping economy affects us in many ways. One impact is a rise in crime rates. We are deeply committed to keeping South Bend safe. More than 75 percent of our General Fund budget supports public safety, clearly our No. 1 budget prior- ity. To put this in perspective, the city pends a higher percentage of its eg neral fund budget on public safety than a typical family spends on housing and utilities, food, transportation, healthcare and entertainment combined. Last year total reported major crimes increased 1 percent over 2007. While the long -term trend remains positive (down 28 percent since 1996), there are areas that cause concern. After a 23 -year low in the murder rate in 2007, the number doubled to 15 in 2008, just shy of the long -term average. Murders are highly visi- ble. They create fear, especially when a string occurs in close succession. This fear exists even when it is clear that these are not random acts of violence: the vast majority of victims knew their assailant. Our local solve rate for murders is much higher than the national average. We will identify, arrest and prosecute these criminals. Although robberies, larcenies and arsons were down, I remain concerned about the rise in residential burglaries. Police officers have done an exceptional job captur- ing suspects, but this spree has expanded beyond career burglars. Particularly disturbing is the number of juveniles involved. Police Chief Darryl Boykins is implementing a number of strategies that will help to reverse this trend, but we will need help from neighbors to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it to the police. Since I took office in 1997 crime has dropped in every category. There have been spikes in some areas the last two years but we are committed to extending that downward trend line (see illustration). It will take all of us, working together, to keep our community safe. Neighborhood Watch and CrimeStoppers are two great ways for you to be involved. Sincerely, 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 Annual Crime Statistics 10941 9176 925 8557 8278 7784 7859 394 —Total Crime — Linear(Total Crime) THIS MONTH... Mayor's Letter CARE Run Ten -Ten l Ok and Mutt Strut Downspout Disconnect Clean Out Your Files Day Adopt A Block - Near Northwest Neighborhood Earth and Arbor Day Festival Curbside Recycling & Shredding CARE Run Ten Ten : 10k Race and Mutt Strut • Put on your running shoes or grab a leash and • collar! Community Animal Rescue Effort • (CARE) of South Bend will be holding its first • • annual Run Ten -Ten 10K race and 2 mile Mutt • Strut on April 25th, 2008 at Howard Park. Over 150 athletes ; • are expected to 0,14%. I� ".k • • participate in this V • USA Track and M•-` an • • Field (USATF) • sanctioned event p • • which will take place 9 • along the St. Joseph • River and continue through some of South • • Bend's lovely historic neighborhoods. • Proceeds from the race will support the ; construction of a new animal shelter for the • City of South Bend. • • To register for the race or mutt strut or for • more information, please visit • www.runtenten.org. Early registration (prior to • • April 1) will enroll participants in a raffle for • cash prizes. First Place winner $300, Second • Place $200, and Third Place $100. To • volunteer, contact Valerie Schey at 210 -9623 • • or email info @careofsouthbend.org. To learn • more about CARE of South Bend, please visit ; www.careofsouthbend.org. • Sponsored by Christopher B. Burke • Engineering, Ltd. ; • v • rr AA � II❑❑ r(r(!! II[[C IIII pp� 44 • • LFiR_h v f'�ll�P�tll' fieS 9W 4 .mum ber,4 • SI USTED NO ENTIENDE INGLES YNECESITA AYUDA PARA TRADUCIR ESTE DOCUMENTO, O SI TIENE ALGUNA PREGUNTA, POR FAVOR LLAME AL TELEFONO (574- 235 -5858 X 1000. Clean Your Files Day 2009 Tuesday, April 21 College Football Hall of Fame Downtown South Bend 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The City of South Bend is pleased to offer: FREE DOWNSPOUT DISCONNECTION Ore If the downspouts on your home disappear _ into the ground, there is a good chance that -�� Mayor Steve Lueckc they are connected to the City sewer system, Bring all secure documents for recycling to the College causing sewers to receive both waste and rain Football Hall of Fame parking lot. Register to win a free year water. A single residence can deposit as much as 27,000 of curbside recycling or win free shredding for a year for your gallons of rain water to the system each year! During heavy business! rainfall and melting snow, this combined sewer overflow can Make a difference by supporting this environmental protection awareness & outreach event: Earth & Arbor Day Festival 2009 Sat April 25, 9 am - 2 pm Howard Park, South Bend Activities for the kids: ♦ Make a bird feeder ♦ Plant a tree at noon ♦ Ride the cherry picker ♦ Visit with "Mother Earth" ♦ Make a CD decoration & necklace ♦ Learn how to join the recycling club ♦ Win a bike, bring your pop tabs Live music along �I with exciting �. exhibits from local groups, businesses & clubs To volunteer or exhibit, contact Diana Mendelsohn: djmendelsohn @aol.com 277 -7456 Sponsored by Prairie Wind Farms, the City of South Bend Tree Advisory Council, St. Joseph County 4 -H Youth Programs, and Mother Earth Organics. over 530 homes from the sewer system, reducing our overflow volume by over 10.5 million gallons! Working together we can help eliminate sewer backups and overflows. If you have a downspout connected to the sewer system, please call 235 -9251 or visit our website at www.southbendin.gov to obtain an application — we appreciate your help making South Bend a "Clean City." Curbside Recycling and Shredded Paper Shredded Paper is recyclable just like most other types of paper. The difference is that uncontained shredded paper is difficult to sort from other material and clogs the mechanical sort systems. This interferes with recycling of shredded paper as well as recycling of other items. Please contain your shredded paper by tying it off in a clear plastic trash bag. This will allow for your shredded paper to be hand sorted and recycled as you intended. These bags are available at most grocery stores, hardware stores, office supply stores, or you can order them direct from Borden Waste -Away Service. For more information, contact Solid Waste Management District of St. Joseph County 235 -9971 or Borden Waste Away Service, Inc. (800) 683 -6801. Near Northwest Neighborhood INCDkeoxn-rsD Adopt -a -Block April 18th, 2009 The Near Northwest Neighborhood Inc. (NNN) will kick -off the 7th annual Adopt -a -Block program on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. at the NNN offices, located at 1005 Portage Avenue. The Adopt -a -Block event provides the perfect opportunity for neighbors to work together to clean up the neighborhood! In its 7th year, the neighbors have stepped up to take pride in their space by adopting more than 87 blocks! Join us for neighborhood camaraderie, good food, and an opportunity to gather supplies to clean up the neighborhood. For more information contact Marilyn Gachaw: nnnorganizer(i�sbcglobal.net 232 -9182. hisit Our Website at www SoutliBendIN.gov! Hours: 7:00am- 4:00pm. You may cause flooding, sewer backup into basements, and odors that 011r P,q, bring up to 50 lbs. (approx. 1 -2 file escape into the air through downspouts rather than remaining 194E ?rfi boxes) for free shredding! underground. To help reduce these occurrences, City residents are Additional secure documents can be shredded for 15¢ per lb. For more urged to call the Division of Engineering to apply for the free Z rite information, call Solid Waste downspout disconnection program. The City will send a Management District at 235-997 1. two - person crew to disconnect the downspout, cap the entry pipe to the sewer, and redirect the downspout to release rain — Sponsored by the City of South Bend water into the yard, where it is naturally absorbed into the My Contribution Borden Waste Away Service, Inc., ground. A downspout disconnection can cost as much as to Earth Day Solid Waste Management District, and $200 if done privately, but this service is offered at no charge Central Files, Inc. to South Bend residents Since 2004 we have disconnected Make a difference by supporting this environmental protection awareness & outreach event: Earth & Arbor Day Festival 2009 Sat April 25, 9 am - 2 pm Howard Park, South Bend Activities for the kids: ♦ Make a bird feeder ♦ Plant a tree at noon ♦ Ride the cherry picker ♦ Visit with "Mother Earth" ♦ Make a CD decoration & necklace ♦ Learn how to join the recycling club ♦ Win a bike, bring your pop tabs Live music along �I with exciting �. exhibits from local groups, businesses & clubs To volunteer or exhibit, contact Diana Mendelsohn: djmendelsohn @aol.com 277 -7456 Sponsored by Prairie Wind Farms, the City of South Bend Tree Advisory Council, St. Joseph County 4 -H Youth Programs, and Mother Earth Organics. over 530 homes from the sewer system, reducing our overflow volume by over 10.5 million gallons! Working together we can help eliminate sewer backups and overflows. If you have a downspout connected to the sewer system, please call 235 -9251 or visit our website at www.southbendin.gov to obtain an application — we appreciate your help making South Bend a "Clean City." Curbside Recycling and Shredded Paper Shredded Paper is recyclable just like most other types of paper. The difference is that uncontained shredded paper is difficult to sort from other material and clogs the mechanical sort systems. This interferes with recycling of shredded paper as well as recycling of other items. Please contain your shredded paper by tying it off in a clear plastic trash bag. This will allow for your shredded paper to be hand sorted and recycled as you intended. These bags are available at most grocery stores, hardware stores, office supply stores, or you can order them direct from Borden Waste -Away Service. For more information, contact Solid Waste Management District of St. Joseph County 235 -9971 or Borden Waste Away Service, Inc. (800) 683 -6801. Near Northwest Neighborhood INCDkeoxn-rsD Adopt -a -Block April 18th, 2009 The Near Northwest Neighborhood Inc. (NNN) will kick -off the 7th annual Adopt -a -Block program on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. at the NNN offices, located at 1005 Portage Avenue. The Adopt -a -Block event provides the perfect opportunity for neighbors to work together to clean up the neighborhood! In its 7th year, the neighbors have stepped up to take pride in their space by adopting more than 87 blocks! Join us for neighborhood camaraderie, good food, and an opportunity to gather supplies to clean up the neighborhood. For more information contact Marilyn Gachaw: nnnorganizer(i�sbcglobal.net 232 -9182. hisit Our Website at www SoutliBendIN.gov!