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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD At a meeting Friday morning with city officials, Kevin Noonan, executive director of Open Pantry Community Services, was told that his agency would be selected to operate The Warming Place in its new location at St. Joseph's Church on Howard Street. The meeting took place after Mayor Charles Ryan made an announcement at the South End neighborhood Council meeting on June 22 that the shelter for homeless people would operate at St. Joseph's only during the months of July and August. Ryan said that concerns about the shelter being next to the Zanetti Montessori Public School prompted the change in plans. In his June 24 meeting, Noonan was told the city has selected another site for the shelter. He was not told of its location, but that it would be announced sometime this week. He was also told that the new location would not required the bussing of homeless to it, so Noonan beleives it may be somewhere in the downtown area. On June 16, the Family Network of the Zanetti School wrote Ryan, "Based on this week's meeting with city officials, we would also like to take this opportunity to let you know that we believe that the Warming Place's tenure at St. Joseph's Church would be most success if Open Pantry continues its management. Open Pantry has a track record of effective shelter management that respects the dignity of the people it serves and the community in which it is located. Our confidence that the Warming Place will be a good neighbor will be enhanced by the awarding of the management contract to Open Pantry." Three Springfield churches had provided the location for the shelter and those sites will close June 30. Noonan had secured permission from the Diocese of Springfield if the St. Joseph's Church site could be used from July 1 to March 1, 2006. In order to secure funding for the Warming Place from the city in the past Open Pantry and the city had split the expenses Open Pantry had to apply to a Request for Proposal sent out by the city's Office of Housing and Neighborhoods. Ryan told the audience of about 75 at the South End meeting that the city is now preparing a plan for a permanent shelter for the homeless other than the one operated by the Friends of the Homeless on Worthington Street. The residents and business owners at the South End meeting were blunt with their disapproval of the homeless shelter being placed at all in the neighborhood. Joseph Frigo said that the news the Warming Place would be in the South End for only two months "makes us feel kind of better." He then said, though, that with the crime problems the South End is fighting the addition of the homeless shelter was like "a final stab in the back for us." Leo Danielle said, "The South End is really in a tough place right now." The feeling expressed by several other residents is that with more homeless people in the neighborhood, there would be, if not more crime, more instances that lower the quality of life in the area. Residents cited how apparently homeless people gather enough returnable containers to buy alcohol and then pass out in the doorways on buildings. Another resident, Helen DeMaio, spoke on how her husband was recently attacked while walking to a convenience store to pick up a newspaper in the morning. "Bring on the homeless," one woman yelled in defiance after DeMaio's remarks. Speaking after the meeting, Noonan said that homeless people have been in the South End for many years. He said that while his agency provides a lunch and dinner program, a breakfast program is offered at the Springfield Rescue Mission on Bliss Street. Noonan said to this reporter that he doesn't want "anyone to be unsafe" because of the Warming Place and at the same time doesn't want to see the homeless vilified. He added that the homeless need to act respectfully and if not, residents should call the police. Ryan said to the South End residents that within the next 30 to 45 days the city would develop a plan for a permanent shelter. It could be a new building near the Friends of the Homeless on Worthington Street or in a renovated building. He said he would seek state funding for the new shelter. "Otherwise, we're in a totally unacceptable situation," Ryan added. State Representative Cheryl Rivera spoke to the fact that the South End apparently will not be among the neighborhoods to receive extra state aid to address problems such as crime. State troopers, who have been called in to support Springfield police. have been present in the neighborhood, though. "Some people say it's too much. I say it's not enough," she said. Rivera said she has been speaking with Edward Flynn, the secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety, about installing wireless television cameras to monitor high crime areas in the city. The cost would be about $1 million and Rivera said that downtown merchants have already pledged $50,000 toward the purchase if the cameras are used there. *** Also at the meeting at the South End, Ryan said that progress has been made on the cleanup of the Gemini Factory site. The city has received a $200,000 brownfields grant to pay for the removal and restoration. Ryan said that the factory's boiler room had leaked fuel oil into the soil and that this must be remedied before the city can proceed with redevelopment plans. He said he hoped to see the work begin in September or October and that city officials will meet with the residents living near the site before the work begins, |