Your Mayor recently attended the Affton Community Betterment Association's Strategic Planning meeting. Pleased I was to see nearly 100 of you get involved as well!
While the ACBA has been around for several years, my first impression was that it was a ship without a rudder. With little financing or real power, it seemed that it was unlikely that the group could really make a difference. In addition, the group seemed to lack goals. I need to clarify however that my time sitting in with the ACBA has been very short so I do not assume to know their whole history or previous strategies or hurdles to create and reach attainable goals. What I can say is
"thank god for grant money and graduate students." It appears that the ACBA is about to become "born again." I'm not talking about the type of "born agains" who attend mega-churches where GOD appears in hi-definition and 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound. I'm talking about an actual rebirth based on a powerful intervening force.
Thanks to a $200,000 grant from HUD, some fine folks from UMSL (based in the Mayor's original 'hood in Normandy) are about to whip our butts into shape for the new year. It's very much like HUD has given us a personal trainer for Affton!
You should all exercise as follows:
Start your workout slowly by viewing the presentation from the Strategic Planning Meeting.
And Rest.
Do 50 sit ups.
And Rest.
Consider carefully how you will get involved. You are now able to join committes charged with tackling an issue in Affton. You can choose something you like to do that's within your skill set or you can pick whatever topic you crab about most to the Mayor's Office and GO FIX IT.
Watch this space for info about new Affton Committee meetings.
