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Then there is the mother of all neighborhood associations in the Arlington District. It is known all over the Merrimack Valley as the Methuen Arlington Neighborhood, Inc. or M.A.N., Inc. Founded in 1991 by a small group of concerned citizens, it has grown in numbers from five to around 145 members. When Linda Soucy, Maureen Mourey, Vinnie Graziano, Mary Ruth Roby and Cathy Ball started it all those years ago, they were desperate to affect change. Cathy Ball, president of the M.A.N., Inc., recalls the frustration of the early days, “We were left out here to die.” Eventually, when the group complaints were coupled with possible solutions to the problems, they were a welcome addition to the Methuen Community Policing. Ball recalls the everprevalent drug and prostitution activity in her neighborhood. By offering solutions and helping the police, this group of concerned citizens took back their neighborhood. Everyone remembers the videotaping of prostitutes and other illegal activity that was rampart in the area. Now, M.A.N., Inc. represents a vibrant neighborhood with a strong association that offers: an annual National Night Out, Christmas party, after school homework program with “Weed and Seed” grants, basketball, and weekly craft workshops. This group is a cultural mosaic with Carmen Rosario serving as a Spanish liaison. They are a shining example for all to emulate relative to how a neighborhood can improve. It has been my pleasure to work with the Ashland Avenue Neighborhood Association for the past year and a half. Since its inception, this group has concerned itself with issues relating to drug trafficking, prostitution, crosswalks, and the Gill Avenue Park and all illegal activities in the park. Some of the neighbors include Susan and Eric Brunette and Nicole Marinello. The group is strong and its over twenty members come from Gill Avenue, Craven Street and Ashland Avenue. This group is responsible for having a home rule petition pass unanimously by the Methuen City Council and the mayor to increase the drug-free zone footage from 100 to 1000 feet around parks and playgrounds. If passed by the state Legislature, this neighborhood can boost it was responsible for changing a Massachusetts General Law. This neighborhood is also quite active in recording the makes and plates of suspicious cars coming into the area. This information is regularly shared with police. Neighborhoods can make a difference by being part of the solution. My own neighborhood used to be very active. We participated in the annual National Night Out, traded names and telephone numbers and compiled a list for our refrigerators for block watches, and knew everyone’s car so we would note anything suspicious. In only a few years, several of my neighbors have moved on and our list is outdated. Only yesterday I was talking to our block captain Minerva Fernandez and we agreed it was time to call another meeting. Some neighbors do not even know each other’s names. We will change this. A few photocopied invitations to have coffee will yield a sense of well being and security for many families. Some neighborhoods routinely meet, have block parties and yard sales. The Fenwick Circle group has done this for years. Lately, however, with all the new development going on in the area, they have formed to become The Fenwick Circle Neighborhood Association so that as a collective they will be able to work together. When I see neighborhoods taking an interest in the city, I am inspired. Though in its infantile stages, I have high hopes for this group. There are a few keys to successful neighborhood associations according to Cathy Ball. She suggested that groups meet monthly on the same day and time. This will insure continuance. She also explained how going door to door to recruit new members helped increase her numbers. A no dues policy helps, too. “The rewards are great,” explained Ball. Overtime, Methuen’s Arlington Neighborhood has grown and it now boosts an 86 percent home ownership versus 20 percent when it first began. People are taking pride in their neighborhood and it shows. It seems to me that neighborhood associations are not really a new thing. Years ago they existed, though not necessarily in name. I remember in the old days when you knew your neighbor and the business of the neighborhood. Perhaps, by reinventing themselves, neighborhood associations will catch on and spread everywhere. With a little effort, it will happen. *Send your questions
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There
is an old adage that speaks about strength in numbers. I
think that would be an appropriate way to look at the
value of neighborhood associations that are springing up
all over the city. Alone, individuals sometimes feel
powerless to affect change or have a voice. As a group,
they are forces with which to be reckoned.