A Giving Strings ‘Thank You’

The Giving Strings Concert last Saturday was a huge success!  In total, we raised about $3,300 for the Martha Franz Fund!  We couldn’t have pulled off the wonderful concert off without local support. It is hard to mention everyone who helped, but the following peoples mentioned were large donators and volunteers that helped make Giving Strings a reality.

First, we thank Dr. Patrick Reynolds, our conductor, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.  We also thank Flowerama for providing us with beautiful rose petals, The Medical Center at Elizabeth Place and Alley Cat Designs for our T-Shirts this year, Ashley’s Bakery for cookies, St. Anne’s Hill Violins for our music folders, Jimmy John’s and Marco’s Pizza for free food for volunteers and musicians, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the rehearsal location, Holy Angels Church for the sound system, Ron Nelson, Nan Watson, Oakwood High School, the Oakwood Register, E.D. Smith School, Central Perc, The Sobol Family, the Dayton Daily News, Larry Kensington and WDPR, Fifth Third Bank,  and the Children’s Medical Center. Also, thanks to Julia and Colleen Judge, our friends, and our family for helping pull together a fabulous Giving Strings!

Clara and Ingrid Hofeldt

An apology, Mr. Dankof

For many months before Mr. Winkler wrote in the 7/24/07 Oakwood Register about Section Eight Housing in Kettering, his newspaper had received many inquiries about the DMHA program. After so much build-up, Mr. Winkler investigated the situation and reported what he had heard as illustrating the nature of the problem. In this way, Mr. Winkler was addressing concerns and that, as every good reporter will tell you, is their job.

Mr. Dankof reported what Mr. Winkler’s office had heard as fact, thereby overstating the basic premise of the article. Also, Mr. Dankof incorrectly interprets the word “complexion” as skin color. “Complexion” has many interpretations and in the case of Mr. Winkler’s article refers, in my opinion, to quality of life. In trying to read between the lines, Mr. Dankof is using his own bias to discredit the messenger rather than investigate the message. I also have not heard the word “darkie” used in over 60 years.

The fact that so many rumors have been circulated about the DMHA program is directly attributed to the stonewalling by Dayton, Oakwood and Kettering. If the program is so good, why not release the correct information to the public via newspapers and TV BEFORE implementation instead of waiting until Mr. Winkler’s article AFTER implementation?

Something tells me not all is right here as Mr. Winkler’s article touched off so many responses to downplay the report and destroy Mr. Winkler as a credible source that this backlash is indicative of a cover-up. Why else not tell your voters what you are PLANNING instead of trying to convince us that what you have already done is all right?

During the 60’s and 70’s when I was the Senior Financial Officer of Miami Valley Hospital and my wife was in Junior League and our family belonged to the Dayton Country Club, we either entertained or went to functions two or three times a week. I have never come face-to-face or ever heard anyone say a remark that would lead me to believe that anyone in Oakwood would make a statement that “I am sick and tired of tacit acceptance of racial stereotyping in our community.” My feeling is that this contention does not exist except in Mr. Dankof’s vision of Oakwood (who is biased here?).

Because of this and other disparaging statements made about Mr. Winkler and people who live in Oakwood, I firmly believe that Mr. Dankof should apologize for his letter of May 31, 2007.

James J. Mischler, Jr.
146 Hadley Road
Oakwood, Ohio 45419

DMHA chief to speak at council meeting

Dear Oakwood citizens,

Events that raise questions or suggest change are always subjects for community discussion.  When they are introduced by a newspaper article full of innuendos, half truths and misinformation, the discussion begins in chaos. Instead of starting with facts followed by questions, the atmosphere is one of confrontation and accusations. This is a great disservice to the community.

On Aug. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Council chambers, the factual, candid and straightforward discussion about DMHA and Section 8 housing will begin and continue thereafter as needed or desired. Mr. Gregory Johnson, Executive Director of Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority will be present and will participate in the meeting. We offer the following information and thoughts as background.

The Victory Apartments complex which is in the city of Kettering has from its beginning 60 years ago offered one bedroom apartments at low rent. We in Oakwood have lived as neighbors to this complex for six decades without harm to our community.

The city of Kettering takes great pride in their neighborhoods and enforces their property maintenance codes accordingly. The word “blight” would not come to mind as one drives through this neighborhood.

The purchase of four buildings, 16 units, by Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority, less than five percent of the total units in the Victory Apartments complex, is not going to change the neighborhood.

DMHA’s mission is to serve their clients, those in need of housing assistance who have proven themselves good citizens. DMHA has no desire to harm communities. Their investment in the upgrade of the buildings they purchased speaks to this and has brought great improvements to these structures.

DMHA has no plans to purchase more buildings in the Victory Apartment complex or elsewhere in this area of Kettering.

In July 2004, DMHA purchased a four unit apartment building in Oakwood. They invested heavily in its renovation and created a facility in which anyone would take pride. Their clients have lived there as law abiding citizens ever since. DMHA has no plans to purchase additional Oakwood property.

Oakwood’s property maintenance code and its regular, rigorous enforcement are equal to any challenge a property owner can produce. This includes any type of subsidized housing. We are not dependent on property owners’ standards and monitoring but instead conduct our own inspections, inside and outside property, and enforce the standards which our ordinances require.  Our ordinances provide the tools needed to maintain the standards sought by Oakwood citizens. In this respect we are the envy of other cities in our county and beyond.

Anyone visiting or living in the city of Oakwood will meet the behavior standards required by our laws and if they do not will be cited by our safety officers and held accountable through our courts.  We have a public safety department that responds to calls faster than almost all departments in the country.  On average, our first officer is at the scene of call within approximately two minutes.  We citizens pay for this service and we get what we pay for.

One of the hallmarks of Oakwood is that many of our citizens take a very active roll in helping to “police” (in a generic, not literal sense) our neighborhoods. We keep an eye out for each other and contact the city to report items of concern. As our citizens continue to do this, our public safety and property maintenance staff will continue to do their good work and Oakwood’s high standards will be maintained.

This is by no means all the information there is to share but will give us a basis to begin our discussion.  City Council looks forward to our meeting on August 27.  As a community we will seek a way to contribute to solutions and not add to problems.

Sincerely,

Mayor Judy Cook
Vice Mayor Carlo McGinnis
Councilman William Duncan
Councilman Roger Blumensheid
Councilman Stanley Castleman

It takes a neighborhood

My experience with living near (Shroyer Gardens) apartments has always been good, the number of children was always limited, dogs were usually prohibited, and the tenants are usually young and single or older and single.

My experiences with single family houses have not always been as good. I’ve had neighbors who neglect to paint their houses, leave dogs to bark, mow their lawns once a summer, kids who trample my yard, party when the parents are gone and/or bounce the basketball till the wee hours.

But my policy with regard to apartments (and single family homes) is to always let them know when I am unhappy. If the lawn isn’t mowed I call the owner and then the city, the same for uncontained or uncollected trash, vehicles that are illegally parked, and noticeably needed repairs. Let the owner know from the start that this is a nice neighborhood and the neighbors intend to keep it that way.

It takes a neighborhood to make a nice neighborhood and everyone needs to do their part. Make phone calls, write letters and set up a neighborhood watch. All of that is surely easier than moving and more productive than incessant complaining.

Judith Steiger

Why is DMHA rehabbing in Oakwood and Kettering

Here is the question I have - why is the DAYTON Metropolitan Housing Authority buying properties in OAKWOOD and KETTERING and spending $800,000 fixing them up?  Does this mean that all the properties in need of rehabilitation in Dayton are all fixed?  No neighborhoods in Dayton that need better properties?

Bill Fecher
Oakwood

Minimal attention paid

Thank you for the informative article last week concerning the section 8 housing project under way directly on our eastern border. This project is certain to negatively impact all citizens of Oakwood and Kettering. In conversation with many Oakwood residents, we are unanimously appalled by the absence of appropriate action from our elected city officials.

All of us are outraged with this proposal and wonder how a project of this magnitude could evolve to this level with minimal attention or intervention. I assume that the Sugar Camp Project occupied all the efforts of city officials. The recently reported tax windfalls from the Sugar Camp Development will almost certainly be negated by the loss of our property values and increase in security expenses as a result of the adjacent section 8 housing project.

We all hope that you and the OR will keep the good citizens of Oakwood alerted as to any developments.
Additional reading is found:

http://www.mcohio.org/revize/montgomery/Montgomery/home/docs/DMHA_5_15_07_Compatibility_Mode.pdf

http://louisville.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/02/19/story3.html?jst=s_cn_h

Best Regards,

Greg Marquart
311 Greenmount Blvd.

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August 14, 2007
Volume 16, No. 33

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