Monday, January 30, 2006

Wilmington Ave/Wayne Ave Intersection Meeting

Thursday February 23rd 6:00 PM
10 Wilmington Place

There is $1.9 million in funds set aside for a project to align Wayne Ave. with Stewart Street. The goal is to make Stewart a two-way street and to widen the road to reduce traffic congestion at this intersection. To acquire the funds needed from the State of Ohio, a proposal was submitted that was devised in the early 1960s when NCR and DESCI were two major employers, and at a time that the population of the city was considerably higher.
The 1960s proposal is now considered obsolete but the funds have been allocated and changes are supposed to begin in 2009. The Walnut Hills Association and the Southeast Dayton Priority Board have expressed concerns about the proposal and the way the funding has been acquired. It is very important that residents, as many as possible, attend this meeting to provide their input because there are many who feel that this project is a waste of public money that could be better spent in another area of the city. It could also invoke eminent domain issues. Please plan to attend. If you drive through this junction at rush hour then your input is crucial. If you live on Stewart Street, your input is required. If you live on Wayne Ave. or if you live, work or have family residing at 10 Wilmington Place, your input is extremely important. The meeting should be informative and very interesting to say the least.

Wyoming Theater Building to get a Face Lift



The owner of the old "Wyoming" Silent movie theater building on the corner of Wyoming Ave and Gunckel has enthusiastically agreed to allow a group of volunteers from the neighborhood to repair and make-over the facade of the building. The building was built in 1914 as a movie theater. Around 1929, after talking pictures were all the rage, it became the "Silver Slippers" and later "Kellys Bar". It has sat unoccupied for many years. The work to restore the facade will involve some stucco/masonry finishing, brick tuck pointing, wood refinishing, some gutter work and of course painting. The material cost for the work will be between $200 and $300 and will probably take 3 weekends to complete depending on the number of volunteers.
The members at the January meeting agreed that the cost was minimal when compared to the impact this would have on property values near this location. None of the work requires any trained skills and can be learned. If you are interested in participating in this neighborhood improvement project, call Gary at 253-1359. The work should start in April.

Neighborhood Leadership Institute

Applications are now being accepted for the annual Neighborhood Leadership Institute sponsored by the City of Dayton, Chase Bank and Sinclair Community College.
The Neighborhood Leadership Institute is a 12-week program designed to educate Dayton residents about local government. The 2006 program kicks off on Thursday, March 16. It is comprised of various workshops and skill-building components, such as public speaking. It also includes a day-long bus tour of Dayton neighborhoods. Workshops are held at different locations where participants hear presentations from community, business and government leaders on topics such as Dayton’s history, the role of City government, the criminal justice system, and cultural diversity. Class members also complete field assignments to expand their knowledge of Dayton, City government and the community at large. Participants will also be required to complete a practical program that requires them to develop a grassroots project within their community.
Anyone interested in participating must complete and submit an application no later than Monday, February 13. Application forms are available at all City of Dayton Priority Board Offices, the Division of Citizen Participation, located on the 6th floor of City Hall or via the City’s web site at www.cityofdayton.org.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Crime Watch Links Site Added

I have added a link to a page that I created that will give you access to public information that may help you find who owns a property or if someone you suspect of illegal activity has a criminal or court record. It is with the other links in the sidebar to the left.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

A Note on Neighborhood Crime

Crime increases in this neighborhood when schools are closed for breaks or holidays. Crime can also increase when new tenants occupy rental properties, especially when there are older children present in the home. If you notice an increase in vandalism or thefts from motor vehicles it is generally a result of these two factors.
Teenagers commit most car thefts in the City of Dayton. Burglaries often result in theft of items that are easily sold or pawned for cash to support a drug habit. It is unwise to leave power tools in your garage. On another note many burglaries and home invasions occur in homes where drugs are present due to the fact that it is unlikely that the crime will be reported.
If you suspect drug activity you can call the drug hotline # 333-DRUG to report your suspicions but you might want to record some vehicle license plate numbers and note the days and times of the activity before you call.
A recent crime in this neighborhood has been the stripping of aluminum siding from the backs and sides of vacant properties. This crime causes blight and reduces the fair market value of surrounding properties. If you see this happening, report the crime to the police.

Public information as a resource

If you have a home computer and Internet access, there are some tools that you can use to know what is going on in your block.
If you want to know who owns a property or if taxes on a property are delinquent you can check this at the Montgomery County Treasurers site http://www.mctreas.org. If taxes are at least two years in arrears any person who deposits $1000 with the county can initiate a sheriff sale. This money is applied to the sale price if that person buys the property at auction or is refunded if another bidder purchases the property.
If a property owner is a business or fictitious name, then you can check the Secretary of States web site to find the articles of incorporation filed with the State of Ohio. This will list the name and address of a contact person and often the name of the company president. You can locate that information here http://serform.sos.state.oh.us.
If you are interested in finding out if there any mortgage liens exist you can check that out at the County Recorders web site http://www.mcrecorder.org where releases and deed information is also available.

This next site is most effective though (http://www.clerk.co.montgomery.oh.us/legal/records.cfm) because it will allow you to access civil and criminal record information on file with the county and the City of Dayton. This information can indicate whether a property owner has a history of housing or zoning code violations or whether they frequently have to evict tenants. It will also indicate if someone you suspect of being involved with the sale of drugs has a criminal record that would substantiate your suspicions. It also informs you if a person has an outstanding warrant for their arrest.

The Dayton Municipal Court site (http://www.daytonmunicipalcourt.org)
allows you to view the housing and general docket information telling you which cases are to appear before the judge on a given day.

If anyone is interested in expanding their block watch into a court watch or want some tools to assist with probable drug activity then these web sites may prove useful. The fact that I am disclosing this means that most residents in Walnut Hills now know that they have free access to this information. This also means that we have just become a safer neighborhood. The chronic criminal element and drug dealers don't want you to know who they are and what they are doing and now you have a window into their past.

NOTE. If your property values were assessed by the county and increased more than you feel is fair, you can use the treasurers web site to check the values of all the properties on your street to see if there are any discrepancies. This site lists recent sales history as well as tax information.