City of Coatesville Weed and Seed Presentation-Carolyn Johnson, Esquire

Weed and Seed Carolyn Johnson Esquire.mp3

At the City of Coatesville City Council Meeting January 24, 2011

Ms. Johnson is the Co-Chair of the City of Coatesville Weed and Seed Committee

“In particular it’s been my pleasure to work with the Coatesville Weed and Seed Steering Committee.

You’re probably familiar with what used to be the “A Team” for Weed and Seed.

About two years ago we decided that we needed restructure ourselves in the wake of some financial difficulty related to that steering committee. And myself the District Attorney’s office as well as a lot of people who are sitting out there in the audience with us, sat down and redrafted our bylaws. And our goal in particular was to make changes that would much more functional efficient steering committee that could really accomplish some things through collaboration for the community. And I’ve empathized collaboration, because what Weed and Seed is, is a partnership of local, state, and social services. It’s a collaborative process that assists in weeding out crime as well as putting in the good things that help a community to improve.

We have a coordinator Allen Smith and I think you are all familiar with him as an employee of the City. And he helps to coordinate the activities that are ongoing with regard to the four subcommittees of Weed and Seed as well as bringing in the community.

And some of the people that I am about to introduce you to are people in this community who work very, very closely with Weed and Seed and who help to get the word out there about the good things that are going on, not just with regard to Weed and Seed but with regard the City and this entire community.

But first I want to tell you about the kind of people we set out to find to participate in our Weed and Seed Steering Committee. We have representatives from the local school district, city government; Interim City Manager Ted Reed serves on that Steering Committee, social and human services and that’s a big part of why I’m here as well as other groups that you are going to hear from; businesses, we have a business owner Tyrone Harley on our Steering Committee. Local politicians; Senator Rafferty has a staff member who serves on the steering committee as well as members of the community of which there are seven.

I want to tell you that State as well as the Federal Weed and Seed program empathizes, and I think this is really important, that we have people who are part of the community working with us.

Let’s not forget the District Attorney’s office as well as the Coatesville Police Department. They are an integral part of weeding out crime asas assisting in the Seeding. 

I’m going to briefly introduce our members:

Jim Tice with the US Attorney’s Office

Ted Reed our Interim City Manager

Lt. Rita Shesco, City of Coatesville Police

Cynthia Vickers-Wilson, Chester County District Attorney Office, Deputy District Attorney

Angelo Romeinello Jr. Director of the Coatesville Area School District

Reverend Sherry Compton, Episcopal Church of Coatesville

Tyrone Hawley who is a business owner here in the city (Mr. T’s Auto Coatesville, PA)

Francis Sheehan CEO of the Brandywine Health Foundation

Pastor Randal Harris who is Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church and he is my Vice Chair."

Hear Pastor Harris' brilliant oratory HERE:

sUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010

“Are you going to answer that last question?” Saturday, May 8, 2010 Second Baptist Church, Coatesville, PA; Community Information Meeting

"Lee Bunting   Coatesville Youth Initiative,  Former Executive Director Brandywine YMCA

Ms. Meg Polvino Chester County Drug and Alcohol  

Julia Harper Senator Rafferty’s office

Stephanie Smith Dowridge community resident

Mike Burnham community resident

Pamela Depte community resident

Chaya Scott community resident and Director of the Coatesville Youth Initiative

Bill Shaw Community Resident-Life Transforming Ministries Coatesville, PA

John Pawlowski

That’s our steering committee.

We also have sub-committees. And our sub-committees are really the gateway into the community and our way of bringing other community members into the community process.

We have a Community Policing Sub-committee and the Co-Chairperson of that is Officer Roger Ollis, Co-Chair John Pawlowski and Co-Chair Lorie Root (Guardian Angles)

We have the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee and the Chairperson there is Detective Gerald Pawling

The Probation Sub-Committee we have a vacancy there because of a change at the County. We have asked a member of the Chester County Department of Community Development to serve as our chair and they are about to appoint a new person.

We also have Prevention Incidents in Street Net and the Chairperson of that is Elder Alinda Eggleston."

“Carolyn E. Johnson-The executive director of Community Impact Legal Services Inc. in West Chester, a private, nonprofit program that provides free civil legal services in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties to low-income individuals and families. She also serves as president of the Coatesville Center for Community Health. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she graduated from Fisk University in Nashville in 1982 and earned her law degree in 1986 at Howard University. She has been honored with a number of awards, including the March of Dimes 2001 Public Service Award, the Chester County Bar Foundation Award, Don’t Borrow Trouble Suburban Philadelphia Award and the United Way of Chester County Community Partner Award.”

FROM:                       

BRANDYWIND HEALTH FOUNDATION 2010 - 2011 Board of Directors:

Vision Statement Weed and Seed City of Coatesville

CITY OF COATESVILLE 2010 WEED AND SEED REVITIALIZATION PLAN PDF

A Community Plan for the Coatesville Youth Development Initiative