President's Message

Dear Neighbors:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, Bobby Triggs. Bob has been a tireless champion for our neighborhood. He set a high standard for leadership that I will strive to meet.

Forest Park has sustained two major blows so far in 2003. Without the courtesy of a phone call, the Springfield Library and Museum Association announced that our library was

closed ...permanently! On the heels of that announcement, came word that Food Mart would close.

The FPCA quickly swung into action on both issues. On February 18, a neighborhood meeting at Forest Park Middle School regarding the library closing attracted a large turnout of neighbors as well as city and state elected officials. Forest Park neighbors spoke and the message was clear... closing the library branches is unacceptable and taxpayers want full accountability from the SLMA on how they use city funds for libraries.

A few weeks later, as a result of citizen activism, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution to establish a committee to study current management data and the potential for the city assuming responsibility for the library system. Former Mayor Charles Ryan will represent the FPCA. The study committee should start its work in early April and make a report to the Council in June.

Concurrent with initiatives to save the library, a committed group of neighbors were working to assure that a full service grocery store would replace Food Mart. Big Y will take over other Food Marts in the region but not the store on Belmont Avenue. An aggressive campaign ...letters, phone calls, picketing ...was launched to let Big Y know why the grocery store on Belmont Ave is crucial to the neighborhood. A new company has announced its intention to run a grocery store at the Food Mart location and we await more details.

On a more pleasant note ...this year the Forest Park Civic Association is 40 years old! There will be a celebration later this year. Stayed Tuned.

Enjoy Spring!
Jane Hetzel, President