Greeneville teens working to improve their neighborhood's reputation
Norwich — Anybody notice anything that you want to change about Greeneville?"
That question was posed by 16-year-old Caroline Forvilus, at the first official meeting Thursday of the new Greeneville Youth Group — a collection of five Greeneville teenagers who are seeking to change the perception of their neighborhood.
The five members included Forvilus, Senjianah Noze, 16, Jeremiah Noze, 17, Serge Fabre, 17 and Sobrina Jeanty, 15.
Forvilus' question then led to a discussion about the perception of Greeneville starting with the swing sets at the Greenville Playground.
Jeanty said she had not been there since she was a child.
Senjianah Noze asked her why.
"Well, I stopped because — well, when I was a child, my sister used to bring me there," said Jeanty. "But now, whenever I want to go there by myself, my parents say it's, you know, dangerous over there. So they don't want me to walk by myself."
Fabre, the group's president, asked her why her parents thought it's too dangerous. She said her parents had heard about criminal activity in the area.
"What do you think would have to happen for your parents to trust that the neighborhood was safe?" Fabre asked her.
Group members mentioned neighborhood watches, patrols and curfews. But Senjianah Noze said people won't obey curfews, and will be out no matter what.
Fabre asked Nancy Procko, a long-time member of the Greeneville Neighborhood Revitalization Committee who was moderating the meeting, if there was a neighborhood watch in Greeneville.
Proclo told her there was and it meets the second Tuesday of every month.
"So if you ever have a concern about something in the neighborhood, either you can attend the meeting, or you can report it to me, and I will bring it up at the meeting. But it's important for you to also keep up on the safety of the neighborhood. Let everybody know what's going on," she added.
Procko said the 25-year-old GNRC has made the city aware of sidewalks, blight, and been involved in the planned demolition of the deteriorating Capehart Mill to create a park. Greeneville has other neighborhood groups such as the Greeneville Neighborhood Committee and Greeneville Neighborhood Watch.
But she said most of the GNRC members are older, and has had trouble attracting new members.
Fabre, after working with Nancy Procko on Sparkle, a GNRC annual events in which flowers are placed in front of Greeneville businesses, talked with her about what else needed to be done to help the community. That led him to form his group with local teens.
"For me, I just joined because I want to actually help out the community," Noze said. "Because personally, I've never helped or volunteered within a community."
At Thursday's meeting, the members and Procko went over upcoming community events and how they could raise awareness of them, including an annual Earth Day cleanup on April 26 and Sparkle in May.
They discussed making posters, creating a website for the GNRC, recording a video for social media, and advertising on the student news program at Norwich Free Academy, which they all attend.
Fabre said the group's goal is to increase participation in the various organizations and events in the community, which Fabre said has a poor reputation.
"Our primary goal is to make Greeneville a better place," he said.
"And give it a good reputation, Forvilus added.
The group is scheduled to hold its next meeting March 26 at 3 p.m. at the Greeneville fire station, 446 North Main St.
d.drainville@theday.com
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