Title: In-Sites September/October 2001
Series: Magazine
Author: Executive Office for Weed and Seed
Published: September/October 2001
Subject: Weed & Seed programs, community policing, crime prevention
31 pages
66,713 bytes

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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Executive Office for Weed and Seed

September/October 2001
Volume IX, Number 4

Weed & Seed In-Sites 
MAGAZINE

2001 National Conference Highlights

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Contents

Celebrating a Decade of Weed and Seed

Letter From the Director

In This Issue

 o Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against Gun Violence

 o Former EOWS Director To Head the Office of Justice Programs

What's Working

 o Community Gardens Grow With the Help of Weed and Seed

 o First Offenders Required To "Return to the Scene of Their Crime"

 o Lumberton Weed and Seed: Holistic Approach to Implementation 
Makes First Year a Great Success

Conference Highlights

 o The Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference: Leave No
Neighborhood Behind
 
 o The Neighborhood Exhibit Hall

 o Weed and Seed Prevention Through the Arts

 o Ashcroft Praises Weed and Seed Efforts

Winners

 o EOWS Presents Awards

Departments 

 o Web Sight
 
 o Conference Corner
 
 o EOWS News
 
 o Resources

Weed & Seed In-Sites
is a publication of the 

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Executive Office for Weed and Seed
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: 202-616-1152 
Fax: 202-616-1159
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows

Stephen Rickman, Director 

Robert M. Samuels, Deputy Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical Assistance and Training

Kathleen Severens, Director of Community Dispute Resolution

Please send all submissions, comments, or address corrections to the above
address. For more information about the Executive Office for Weed and Seed
and its staff, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/abouteow.htm.

----------------------------

Letter From the Director

First, I would like to thank each of you who called EOWS or sent e-mails
offering kind words and prayer following the tragic events of September
11, 2001. The gesture symbolizes that Weed and Seed is, in fact, a family.
Just 2 weeks after we gathered to celebrate a very special anniversary for
Weed and Seed, our country was hit with the most violent terrorist attack
in U.S. history. We have all seen by now the photos, broadcasts, and
testimonials of victims of the horrid events of that day.

Pride in our country and knowledge of the strength of its people have
helped us move forward and begin the healing process. We put our faith in
the U.S. Department of Justice, our President, and his advisors. While they
partner together in pursuit of justice, I ask each of you to partner with
members of your community in pursuit of rekindling spirits and building
strength. We accomplished so much at our National Conference in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I was pleased to hear that so many of you
felt renewed again and driven to strengthen your own commitment to your
local strategy. Use this strength to unite, and serve, your community. Talk
to the children in your neighborhood who, by now, have witnessed the
horrific events captured on video on September 11, and use the victim
service resources available to you. We have listed several references for
In-Sites readers on the Resources page.

This issue of In-Sites magazine is filled with images of celebration. Remember
our success over the past 10 years; remember your own personal
accomplishments. I hope you will be able to tap into the positive images and
stories of this issue to find renewal and faith in the hard work that drives the
causes of each of your own Weed and Seed neighborhoods. After all, this is a
part of what makes this country great! Even better things are coming our way.

Stephen Rickman
Director, EOWS

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On the Cover

Philadelphia's City Hall towers over Market Street in the city's busy
downtown area. National Conference flags lined the street, welcoming
attendees to Philadelphia and encouraging them to celebrate A Decade of
Weed and Seed: Leave No Neighborhood Behind.

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Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against Gun Violence

----------------------------

President George W. Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft recently
announced an aggressive initiative that will offer relief not only for
professionals in law enforcement and prosecution, but also for residents
and business owners in communities across the country.

----------------------------

Just 3 months before he addressed conference attendees at the Weed and
Seed 2001 National Conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft was in
Philadelphia with President George W. Bush to announce a strong new
initiative entitled "Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network
Against Gun Violence." The project's goal is to strengthen existing local
programs that target gun crime by providing them with the resources and
tools they need to be most successful. "This initiative invigorates our
enforcement efforts by networking existing local programs together and
providing the tools at the national, State, and local levels to take gun-
wielding criminals off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. Our goal
is to reduce gun-related violence in America and to sustain that reduction.
From now on, all over America, criminals will do hard time for gun
crime," announced Ashcroft.

Per Ashcroft's request, the Task Force on Gun Violence developed Project
Safe Neighborhoods. The Task Force includes representatives from
various components within the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Law enforcement advisors to the
Project Safe Neighborhoods program include the Fraternal Order of
Police, National State Troopers Association, International Association of
Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs' Association, Major Cities Chiefs of
Police, Police Executive Research Forum, National District Attorneys
Association, and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement
Executives. 

Over the next 2 years, approximately $558.8 million will be committed to
this initiative, $233.6 million of which will be available this year. The
funds will be used to hire new Federal and State prosecutors, support
investigators, provide training, and develop and promote community
outreach efforts. It is expected that newly appointed U.S. Attorneys will
fuel the initiative by pooling State and local resources and establishing
strategic partnerships between Federal, State, and local law enforcement
agencies in their districts. Each newly appointed U.S. Attorney will be
directed to develop and certify to the Attorney General the implementation
of a comprehensive gun violence reduction program. "I will hold each
U.S. Attorney accountable for implementing the initiative and for getting
results. They will be required to report to me every 6 months on the steps
they have taken and the impact of those efforts in their community,"
Ashcroft said.

Although each U.S. Attorney's Office will oversee a gun violence
reduction program tailored to the needs of its community, each program
will be founded on and supported by the same five core elements:
partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability.

This year, 113 new Federal prosecutors will dedicate their efforts to
prosecuting cases that involve illegal gun use under Project Safe
Neighborhoods, and $75 million in grants will be used to hire and train
nearly 600 nonfederal gun prosecutors. In addition, $144.3 million will be
dedicated to funding programs that support activities under Project Safe
Neighborhoods, and the U.S. Department of Justice's $189 million will
support continuing enforcement of gun laws under this initiative and its
efforts to ensure that child safety locks are available for every handgun in
the Nation. Additional funds will be used to hire more new Federal and
State prosecutors, support investigators, provide training, and develop and
promote community outreach efforts.

The Attorney General also described this project to the luncheon audience
at the National Conference in Philadelphia. The announcement came as
good news for those who focus on weeding efforts and who, for many
years, have had difficulty bringing Federal and State resources to the table.
Reagan Dunn, the Office of Justice Program's Counsel to the Assistant
Attorney General, also provided audience members with more information
regarding Project Safe Neighborhoods in both the day-long Learning Lab
"Gun Law Enforcement and Prosecution" and the breakout session
"Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence."

President Bush's fiscal year 2002 budget will expand on Project Safe
Neighborhoods with initiatives that include Project Sentry, a $20 million
effort that will help new State prosecutors and community task forces
combat juvenile gun crime and will hire new Assistant U.S. Attorneys who
will focus on school gun violence and juvenile gun offenders. EOWS will
continue to update In-Sites readers on these initiatives and encourages all
Weed and Seed sites to contact their U.S. Attorneys' Offices to get 
information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, or visit www.usdoj.gov/
safeneighborhood.htm.

----------------------------

Learn about Detroit's Weed and Seed antigun violence initiative in the
latest issue of Best Practices (NCJ 188552). To order a copy, call 1-800-
851-3420 or send an e-mail to puborder@ ncjrs.org.

---------------------------

Former EOWS Director To Head the Office of Justice Programs

On September 21, 2001, the U.S. Senate confirmed President Bush's
nomination of Deborah J. Daniels to serve as Assistant Attorney General
for the Office of Justice Programs. Daniels was the first National Director
of the Executive Office for Weed and Seed and recently served as a
partner with the Indianapolis, Indiana, law firm of Krieg DeVault LLP,
where she specialized in governmental affairs, health care, and corporate
compliance. OJP staff welcomed Assistant Attorney General Daniels to
work on September 26, 2001.

As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana (1988-93), Daniels
played a vital role in promoting and spreading the word about Weed and
Seed. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Justice selected Daniels to serve as
the first national Director of Operation Weed and Seed. Prior to her
service as U.S. Attorney, Daniels worked as chief counsel for Prosecuting
Attorney Stephen Goldsmith (who later became Indianapolis' mayor and
has been a great supporter of Weed and Seed) in Marion County, Indiana,
supervising areas including child abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic
violence prosecutions; adult protective services; and victim assistance.

Daniels' dedication to and success in establishing Project Weed and Seed
in Indianapolis helped build the site into a national Weed and Seed model.
Daniels received the Attorney General's Award for Excellence in
Management and the Attorney General's Award for Excellence in Law
Enforcement Coordination and served on the Attorney General's Advisory
Committee of U.S. Attorneys.

Daniels' commitment to the Indianapolis community has continued
throughout the years. She has served as Executive Director of the Greater
Indianapolis Progress Committee, a public-private partnership between the
city of Indianapolis and corporate leaders that promotes economic
development in Indianapolis. She also played a key role in founding an
Indianapolis charity that provides transitional housing for victims of
domestic violence and their children. She was previously involved in a
variety of charitable organizations in Indianapolis, including the United
Way of Central Indiana and various pro bono legal assistance projects. She
received a bachelor of arts degree with honors from DePauw University
and graduated cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law.

----------------------------

Deborah Daniels' record of service is impressive. She brings to the Office
of Justice Programs an ideal blend of practical experience and fresh ideas.
I have confidence she will lead this crucial component of the department
with honor and distinction.

--Attorney General John Ashcroft

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From Fort Myers Weed and Seed

Due to the outpouring of requests from law enforcement agencies all over
the State of Florida, the Fort Myers Police Department is providing
information about a fund that has been established for Officer Lorne Lyles
and his children. Officer Lyles' wife, Cee Cee Lyles, was a flight attendant
aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. Anyone
who would like to help the Lyles family can send donations in the Lyles'
name to:

Edison National Bank
P.O. Box 2525
Fort Myers, FL 33902

The Fort Myers Police Department also encourages donations to your
local American Red Cross in Cee Cee Lyles' name and/or donations to
local blood banks. Thank you.

--Janet Skinner, Clearwater Police Department, Clearwater, Florida

----------------------------

What's Working

Community Gardens Grow With the Help of Weed and Seed
James Hogan

In 1994, Fox Park, a small neighborhood in the Near South Side of St.
Louis, Missouri, became the city's first Weed and Seed site. The
neighborhood had its fair share of drug dealers, drug houses, prostitutes,
deteriorating and abandoned buildings, and vacant lots. Long-term
residents started to move out of Fox Park because of these conditions to
search for a better quality of life. Others, however, were determined to stay
in their neighborhood and turn it around; Fox Park was ready for Weed
and Seed.

The residents who "stuck it out" in the Fox Park neighborhood reasoned,
it's Weed and Seed, not Weed then Seed. With that in mind, the police, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, and others worked hard to remove the
lawbreakers from Fox Park, and the law-abiding residents decided to
beautify their neighborhood. In partnership with Gateway Greening, Inc., a
local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping residents create
community gardens, the residents created a beautiful ornamental garden
complete with footpaths, electric lights, and benches. It sits at the
intersection of Russell Boulevard and California Avenue, the busiest
intersection in Fox Park and a corner that used to be busy with drug sales.

Slowly, flowers and trees began to replace mattresses and old tires. As a
result of this ongoing transformation, the corner no longer looked like a
place to buy drugs and the drug sales stopped. Residents started to
improve their own yards and gardens and pick up litter in the streets and
alleys, landlords began to see these improvements and rehabilitated their
properties instead of selling them, and young couples began to buy
property and move into the neighborhood.

The residents next erected a raised-bed garden across the street, which
provided 30 families with a place to grow vegetables. These vegetable
beds were in such high demand that DeSales Community Housing
Corporation (the local Community Development Corporation) donated a
large lot a few blocks away for an additional community garden, providing
space for 20 more vegetable beds.

Before Weed and Seed entered the neighborhood, residents were known to
say "don't go by Russell and California." Today, residents realize that Fox
Park is an eye-pleasing, desirable place to live. They have developed an
unparalleled sense of community and pride. Residents now encourage
visitors to "stop and see our gardens!"

Flowers do not arrest criminals, but it is a boost to the Weed and Seed
strategy when the bad guys disappear and gardens bloom. Beautiful
gardens lift the spirits of law-abiding citizens and help to revitalize a
community. For six of the seven Weed and Seed neighborhoods in St.
Louis, including Fox Park, community gardens have helped to unify the
residents and increase the quality of life. In the end, Weed and Seed can
mean weed and seed after all.

----------------------------

In neighborhoods in which the quality of life is diminishing and residents
are continually relocating to safer areas, keeping the spirit of the
community high is a challenge. When the residents of the Near South Side
in St. Louis, Missouri, were designated as a Weed and Seed site, they
received the "shot in the arm" they needed to strengthen their commitment
to building a healthier community.

----------------------------

First Offenders Required To "Return to the Scene of Their Crime"
Beverly Ward

The State's Attorney's Office in Salisbury, Maryland, has for years
supported the First Offenders Program, which requires fines and
community service as a means of retribution, as a disciplinary sanction for
first-time misdemeanor offenses. Approximately 6,000 college students
attend Salisbury State University, located near the Weed and Seed target
area, and many of the individuals facing first-time charges are students
who are brought up on alcohol-related offenses. In fact, 95 percent of the
program's participants are college students who attend the university. But
the First Offenders Program allowed offenders to perform their
community service hours in their own neighborhood--that is, until the
local Weed and Seed Steering Committee spoke up.

In February 1993, the Wicomico County State's Attorney's Office began
the alternative sentencing program for first-time offenders of nonviolent,
misdemeanor offenses. Under this program, defendants who sign an
agreement contract waive their right to trial, pay a program fee, and
perform a predetermined amount of community service hours. Upon
successful completion of the program, the State will enter a nolle prosequi
to the original charge (i.e., the legal action will proceed no further). With a
continued enrollment of 200 to 300 defendants, the program has saved the
county, conservatively, more than $400,000 per year in tax dollars by
reducing court costs and jail time and increasing payment of fees and
community service hours.

In April 2001, at a Weed and Seed Steering Committee meeting, members
voiced their concerns over what they viewed was a great disservice to their
community. Although the community surrounding the university had to
live with the nuisance of late-night parties and underage drinking, it wasn't 
reaping the benefits of a program that required a significant number of
volunteer hours from offenders--a resource a revitalizing neighborhood
could certainly use. The Steering Committee contacted the State's
Attorney's Office, which, after hearing the appeal, agreed that offenders
should be required to pay back something tangible to the violated
communities. Soon after, community members, including the university,
lent their support.

Revisions to the policies of the First Offenders Program require that
offenders return to "the scene of their crime" as volunteers for community
projects and neighborhood activities. In cases in which an offender cannot
return to the area, a fine is issued that must be paid within 6 months.
Target area programs and nonprofit organizations that need support
register their volunteer needs with Shore C.A.N. (Citizen Action
Network), a volunteer opportunity registry coordinated at Salisbury State
University. Shore C.A.N. generates citizen action through community
service to address current volunteer needs. A Shore C.A.N. program
coordinator administers community service work for the First Offenders
Program, and the State's Attorney's Office monitors the supervision of the
offenders.

Seventy-five percent of the Salisbury Weed and Seed Steering Committee
members are residents from the target area, and because they voiced their
concerns and devised a plan of action, offenders today can no longer fulfill
community service requirements in their "home" areas.

In communities that have traditionally been disenfranchised, injustices are
prevalent and widespread. However--as Salisbury Weed and Seed has
demonstrated--the Weed and Seed strategy gives communities that work
together the tools they need to right the injustices one by one.

----------------------------

When members of the Salisbury, Maryland, Weed and Seed Steering
Committee voiced to their local State's Attorney's Office concerns they
had about the policies of the First Offenders Program, they intended to
make a difference. With the support of city police and a local university,
their recommendations brought change to the program and additional
resources to their community.

----------------------------

Lumberton Weed and Seed: Holistic Approach to Implementation Makes
First Year a Great Success

Creative partnering approaches, a thorough community assessment plan,
and the support of a city social worker took law enforcement efforts in
Lumberton, North Carolina, to extraordinary levels for the first quarter of
2001. Sgt. Detective Tal Barnett and police social worker Gwen Taylor
headed up several successful operations that not only focused on
eliminating drugs and prostitution in the Southeast Lumberton Weed and
Seed target area, but also on providing services and treatment to the people
they arrested.

Southeast Lumberton's target area encompasses approximately 7,000
residents. Traditionally, this area's crime rate has been high and its income
level low, yet its commitment to Weed and Seed has grown stronger. The
site, which began implementing its Weed and Seed strategy in 2000 with
11 Steering Committee members and today has nearly 30 members on the
Steering Committee and its subcommittees, emphasizes community
involvement in each element of its strategy. Intensive community outreach
efforts, such as holding routine meetings in local Safe Havens and
distributing a community newsletter, have helped the site's efforts to break
down the barriers that had grown between the city and its residents in
years prior to Weed and Seed's entry.

Specifically, the Southeast Lumberton Weed and Seed Law Enforcement
Subcommittee serves the weeding interests of the strategy. Monthly
meetings at which members openly discuss topics of concern have helped
officers to identify the most serious problems that contribute to crime in
the target area. Residents who were surveyed stated that prostitution, drug
distribution, substance abuse, burglary, and violent crimes were the
biggest threats to their community's safety. In response to the needs of the
community, the Weed and Seed Special Task Force was formed in
October 2000. Under the direction of Sergeant Barnett, this team
composed of trained officers, undercover narcotics detectives, confidential
informants, and a police social worker collaborated to measure the severity
of the problems in the community. The Task Force went into the target
area's most troubled sections day and night, coordinating operatives such
as undercover prostitution/solicitation reversals and drug buys; issuing
search warrants; and conducting knock and talks with the residents in the
community.

Similar to many other high-crime/ low-income neighborhoods, Southeast
Lumberton has seen its fair share of strangers that drive through the target
area to purchase drugs or solicit prostitutes. The team addressed the
problem directly by organizing random traffic checkpoints. These
checkpoints resulted in the confiscation of drugs, firearms, and alcohol and
the arrests of individuals who were driving while intoxicated. The team
also distributed a leaflet outlining the Weed and Seed strategy to every
driver. The traffic checks helped to build residents' confidence in the
community and trust in the officers.

While the weeding efforts of the Task Force were going strong, the site hit
a new high when, on March 28, 2001, the Drug Enforcement Agency's
Mobile Enforcement Team--partnering with other agencies including the
Robeson County Sheriff's Department--arrested 69 people on Federal and
State drug charges. Sergeant Barnett and his team assisted in the
investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than $1 million in
property, money, and drugs. The Lumberton Police Department made 14
Federal and 18 State indictments, most of which were in the southern and
eastern parts of the target area.

Lumberton's Special Task Force maintained its focus after the arrests and
did not move to a different target area. Early on, the officers realized that
their efforts would result in the arrests of the individuals causing problems
in the community, which in turn would cause the remaining criminals to
move to nearby neighborhoods or to move their "businesses" into areas in
which they could not be seen. To combat this problem, officers continued
to make arrests but also began to focus on crimes that could take place
behind the walls of abandoned properties.

----------------------------

When a rural town in North Carolina was awarded Official Recognition in
2000, its local police department quickly started working to achieve some
of the goals set out in its strategy. By incorporating a social service
element into their weeding plan, the Southeast Weed and Seed Special
Task Force was able to best provide for its entire strategy while building
community trust.

----------------------------

One approach to cleaning up the streets is to make many arrests. Such
efforts would be a great disservice to the neighborhood, however, if
communities did not address substance abuse, public health, and treatment
issues in the community. Experienced officers in the community realized
that some of the people they arrested needed services that law enforcement
could not always provide. With the support of a police social worker,
officers felt they could better help the people they were arresting,
particularly those brought in on drug and alcohol abuse charges, by
directing them to city- and Weed and Seed-provided social services.
Because the Lumberton Task Force understood the Weed and Seed
strategy in its entirety, it immediately partnered with a professional social
worker--Gwen Taylor--through the Social Worker and Police Partnership
program. 

"[E]veryone gets a chance to start over, no matter what they have done in
their lives," said Taylor. In her role, Taylor accompanies the arrestee,
referred by the Task Force officer, through every step of the judicial
process. Taylor recently created an 8-hour class entitled, "New
Beginnings," which is held in a community Safe Haven. Offenders that are
mandated by a court judge to attend the class learn how to get treatment
and to obtain housing, employment, better health, and spiritual awareness
to better their lives. (Local judges that support such Weed and Seed efforts
are most helpful in the sentencing phase because they require substance
abusers and solicitors of prostitution to undergo treatment.) "All who
attend the New Beginnings classes or receive social services must believe
that they can make a difference in their communities. . . . [W]e can't save
the world, but we can try to save a little part of Lumberton," said Taylor.

The weeding and seeding efforts in the Lumberton target area continue to
move forward under the direction of the Steering Committee. The
committee hopes to develop partnerships with the U.S. Housing Authority
and the U.S. Department of Corrections Permanent Placement Housing
Program to promote home ownership in the community. The site is
aggressively applying for additional State and local resource grants to help
it realize its long-term revitalization goals. In the meantime, Sergeant
Barnett's team continues to dedicate itself to helping all the residents and
business owners of Weed and Seed live in a productive and healthy
community. 

While arrests continue in these trouble spots, the community is working
with the City of Lumberton's Community Development Office, which uses
State and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to
rehabilitate homes in need of repair. They also are working with the City
Planning and Inspection Department to reduce the number of abandoned
homes, cars, and lots in the area. On behalf of Weed and Seed, the
Community Development Office recently applied for a federally funded,
State coordinated grant that would provide $1.4 million over the course of
5 years to improve the streets, landscaping, and housing units around the
Parkview Safe Haven area. The site will continue to go after these types of
funding opportunities to provide resources for the coming years and to
sustain the many plans the community has for its Weed and Seed
initiative.

----------------------------

Thank you, Mary Lou

EOWS would like to thank former Acting Assistant Attorney General
Mary Lou Leary for her dedication to Weed and Seed and the Office of
Justice Programs over the years and looks forward to continuing work
with her as she returns to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of
Columbia, where she will serve as the Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney.

----------------------------

Conference Highlights

The Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference: Leave No Neighborhood
Behind

On August 27-29, EOWS and the City of Philadelphia hosted the Weed
and Seed 2001 National Conference, Leave No Neighborhood Behind. An
estimated 1,700 attendees traveled to downtown Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, to celebrate a decade of Weed and Seed.

Preconference Learning Labs allowed early arrivals the opportunity for
extensive training on such topics as community technology, capacity
building, effective grant writing, and meth lab cleanup. The rooms were
filled to capacity with waiting lists for each lab. Based on the popularity of
these learning opportunities, the EOWS Training and Technical Assistance
Division is reviewing additional training opportunities for sites in 2002.

On Sunday night, the City of Philadelphia and its team of volunteers rolled
out the "green" carpet in true Weed and Seed fashion. The city closed off
two full city blocks on Market Street outside the host hotel, erected two
concert stages, set up food booths for a "Taste of Philadelphia," and
offered Weed and Seed attendees a celebration never seen before. Under
the shadows of the massive Philadelphia City Hall, and surrounded by
symbols of America's colonial fight for liberty and freedom,
approximately 1,200 Weed and Seeders from across the country collected
for a Philadelphia Block Party that they'll never forget.

The Neighborhood Exhibit Hall with 100 exhibitors and partners of Weed
and Seed, more than 50 breakout sessions, a special luncheon with a keynote
address by Attorney General John Ashcroft, guest presentations from Office of
Justice Programs leaders, tours to Weed and Seed sites, the Indianapolis
Mobile Community Outreach Police Station (MCOPS) van, video highlight
films that captured the history and success of Weed and Seed, presentations of
the EOWS Director's Awards, and the Accreditation Series Graduation all
contributed to the success of Leave No Neighborhood Behind. The thousands
of details that came together so successfully would never have been possible
without the vision and incredible support of the host city and its volunteers.
EOWS extends a special thank-you to the host committee, which worked
tirelessly during the months leading up to the conference and went the extra mile
for our attendees.

Thank-You to Members of the Host Committee

 o Bill Hausman, Outreach Program Manager, and Joe Liciardello, Law
Enforcement Coordinator, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania.

 o Frankie Hughes, Deputy Managing Director, and Roxanne Andrews,
Conference Coordinator, Philadelphia Managing Director's Office.

 o Michael Cruz, Weed and Seed Coordinator, Philadelphia Weed and
Seed Project.

 o Anthony Murphy, Executive Director, Operation Town Watch.

 o Lt. Col. Richard Blosser, Counterdrug Coordinator, Pennsylvania
National Guard.

 o Sister Carol Keck, Executive Director, Norris Square Neighborhood
Project/UNAD.

 o Sylvester Johnson, Deputy Police Commissioner, Philadelphia Police
Department.

And thank-you to all the volunteers who committed their time and wonderful
attitudes in support of the National Conference!

Featured in this issue of In-Sites are photos taken throughout the conference.
Sites seeking copies of these photos should call the In-Sites editor at
202-307-6031. We will do our best to provide them via e-mail. Additional
photos from the conference will be posted on the EOWS Web site in coming
weeks.

----------------------------

The Neighborhood Exhibit Hall

The Neighborhood Exhibit Hall, decorated to resemble a local neighborhood,
was packed with exhibits from 59 Weed and Seed sites and organizations and
programs from across the country. Many sites displayed their creative flair and
brought giveaways from their sites and hometowns, while others found unique
ways of promoting their Weed and Seed efforts with sophisticated multimedia
presentations that broadcasted images and audio samples of the residents of
their sites.

Linda Fitch, coordinator of all exhibition hall activities, set up props donated by
the Marriott Hotel and a local initiative known as "Village of Arts and
Humanities," a community-based arts, education, and neighborhood
development organization located in inner-city North Philadelphia. The exhibit
hall was transformed to look and feel like a traditional Philadelphia
neighborhood--complete with a life-size Liberty Bell!

Visitors entered the hall through a large "brick and iron" gate, making note of
such details as the use of flickering bulbs in the lampposts to resemble the
flicker of gas lanterns used in the "old days." Trees and park benches placed
throughout the hall invited visitors to stay awhile. The exhibits lined the
neighborhood streets, with appropriate names such as Liberty Lane,
Independence Court, and Penn Square, and a caf encouraged participants to
take a seat and meet a new friend or catch up with a colleague. To complete
the effect, a 10-foot-long version of the Weed and Seed 10th anniversary plane
featured on conference materials flew above the "Decade of Weed and Seed"
banner. 

The hall was centrally located and popular with conference attendees. On
Tuesday, conference attendees packed the exhibit hall for a networking
lunch event with guest speaker activist Patrick Hadley, founder of Men
Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder (MAD
DADS). Later that evening, the City of Philadelphia graciously hosted a
reception that featured a popular local disc jockey. The reception also
showcased the Junior Calypsonians and Banjo players and the Eulalie
Rivera Safe Haven Steppers, both from Estate Grove Place Weed and Seed
in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. The event was so well attended and popular
that the reception was extended for another hour!

On behalf of EOWS, In-Sites would like to thank exhibitors for sharing
their brochures, newsletters, videos, giveaways, and promotional items
with conference participants. Each exhibitor made the conference all the
better!

How's This for Weed and Seed Spirit?

The City of Minneapolis Weed and Seed booth made a splash at the 2001
National Conference with its plastic "Weed and Seed Prosecution" sign.
The sign resembled the "We Support Weed and Seed" plastic signs that
EOWS offered, but also provided Federal prosecution warnings to anyone
considering committing a crime within the boundaries of the Weed and
Seed area. The signs were a huge hit, as many sites pointed and asked the
Minneapolis site, "Where'd you get those!?"

The Minneapolis exhibit was created and staffed by Christina Kendrick,
Community Support Specialist for the City of Minneapolis. When In-Sites
caught up with her at the Minneapolis booth in the exhibit hall, she
expressed how popular her site's custom-designed signs were and that
other sites were getting creative in their approach to "leverage the
resource" of her exhibit. With demand so high and the relative cost per
sign so low, Kendrick made a generous offer on behalf of Minneapolis.
Those who want the artwork to reproduce these special signs themselves,
would like a copy of the sign, or would like information on where the
Minneapolis site got its signs bulk-produced should e-mail Kendrick at
christina.kendrick@ ci.minneapolis.mn.us. She will respond to every
request that includes at least one comment about the site's exhibit. In
addition, she has offered to pay for the costs of shipping for all requests
made before December 31, 2001. Thank you, Minneapolis!

Law Enforcement in Hispanic Neighborhoods

Hosting a session in the late afternoon of any conference is a challenge,
especially when it follows a full day of breakout sessions, a networking lunch,
and plenary sessions. Despite that, a few law enforcement attendees managed
to attract nearly 40 attendees to a session they coordinated to discuss "Law
Enforcement in Hispanic Weed and Seed Neighborhoods." With the assistance
of Anita Snyder, EOWS' Special Assistant to Director Stephen Rickman, the
group offered the session so that attendees could come together and talk about
the challenges to law enforcement recruitment and deployment in Weed and
Seed target areas.

Adrian Garcia, Director of the Mayor's Antigang Task Force in Houston,
Texas, and Sgt. Randy Sutton of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department hosted the 1-hour discussion. The attendees talked openly about a
wide variety of challenges in their communities. A lengthy discussion centered
around language barriers between English-speaking officers and residents
whose primary language is Spanish. Garcia and Sergeant Sutton asked the
audience to explain their various approaches, including interpretation
alternatives, language immersion programs, and partnering with local refugee
relocation centers to help officers take a proactive approach to identifying
problems and crime trends in the Latino community.

----------------------------

Weed and Seed Prevention Through the Arts

Providing young people with alternatives to violence and teaching them
how to divert anger and confusion into creative expression has proved to
be one of the best crime prevention tools around. When role models are
available to introduce youth to positive community-based activities (e.g.,
mentoring, afterschool programming, volunteer opportunities), youth gain
leadership skills, self-esteem, and confidence that will last them a lifetime.

Through the Weed and Seed Prevention Through the Arts Special Emphasis
program, adults provide children and teens with support and reinforcement they
may not find elsewhere. Weed and Seed sites across the country provide
encouragement and instruction in many art forms, including puppet shows, stilt
walking, mural painting, play writing, stage production, music recording, and
ballet dancing. Groups of youth from various Weed and Seed communities
dedicated to these programs performed for attendees throughout the National
Conference, demonstrating how their talents have developed through the help
of Weed and Seed. These youth are not members of hobby clubs--they are
serious artists, often supported by professional instructors, who spend a large
portion of their day practicing and perfecting their art.

North Bellport Weed and Seed Youth Steel Drum Band

The North Bellport, New York, Youth Steel Drum Band performed at
Monday's luncheon. The group consists of 14 youth ages 7 to 14 and was
founded in January 1999 as part of North Bellport Weed and Seed's crime
prevention efforts. The band has been featured on local Cablevision and in the
Long Island, New York, Newsday newspaper. They are not strangers to the
stage, as they also have played at many local community and church gatherings.

Estate Grove Place Musicians and Steppers

Conference attendees couldn't miss the Estate Grove Place Junior Calypsonians
and Banjo Players, a group of young artists from the U.S. Virgin Islands, with
their bright yellow T-shirts and big smiles. The group entertained audiences with
songs and music at both the luncheon on Monday and the reception hosted by
the City of Philadelphia in the Neighborhood Exhibit Hall Tuesday night. Their
artist peers and neighbors, the Eulalie Rivera School Steppers, a group of
young women from the same Weed and Seed site, performed at Tuesday's
reception and brought the audience to its feet at Tuesday's general assembly.
Audience members cheered and called out "Go girl!" as the all-female group
proudly stepped and cheered in unison with all their heart.

Using EOWS Special Emphasis funding, the Eulalie Rivera Safe Haven offers
afterschool arts programming for target area youth. This program serves
approximately 40 children between ages 5 and 16. Each child is taught the
fundamentals of composing music, writing lyrics, and training their voices. These
artists have entertained audiences at such events as the Crucian Christmas
Festival and the St. Thomas Carnival and at local school functions. Instructors
from the target area spend 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, teaching the youth the
traditions and history of calypso music, composition, and production . . . that is,
as long as their homework is complete and they participate in additional tutoring
after school.

West Philadelphia Weed and Seed's Unspoken Praise

Unspoken Praise comprises a group of young ladies from the West
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Weed and Seed site. They energized the Tuesday
morning assembly with their interpretive dance, grace, and pride. 

Unspoken Praise was established nearly 5 years ago and ministers its talents
regularly at the Calvary Gospel Chapel. The group has also performed at the
Mann Music Center, Philadelphia Zoo, and local Nubian Festival at the
Philadelphia Community College.

Mark Barksdale and Ruby Brown

Tuesday afternoon's general session kicked off with the talents of local artists
Mark Barksdale and Ruby Brown. Barksdale, a resident of the Norris Square
community in Philadelphia, is a self-taught singer and serves as a teen tutor for
youth in the United Neighbors Against Drugs, Inc., Safe Haven afterschool
program. He sings in his school choir and is considering a career in music.

While Barksdale displayed his singing talent, artist Ruby Brown sat at his piano
in front of the stage and delivered a piece that brought the audience to its feet.
Brown is a student at the Girard Music Academy in Philadelphia and is involved
in several Weed and Seed programs in his community. His goal is to pursue a
career in music. It appears he is well on his way!

----------------------------

Ashcroft Praises Weed and Seed Efforts

The Keynote Luncheon celebration gave conference attendees food for
thought in the packed Grand Ballroom of the Marriott.

Louise Lucas, DEFY Coordinator and Reentry Programs Coordinator at
EOWS, warmly welcomed attendees, and EOWS Director Stephen
Rickman praised the dedication and activism of Attorney General John
Ashcroft--who, according to Rickman, this year recommended an
unprecedented 25- percent increase in funding for the EOWS budget.
"This Attorney General stood up for the distressed communities we
represent; he stood up for Weed and Seed; he stood up for you, for me; he
stood up for us--I ask you to stand up for him now," Rickman announced,
and the room came to its feet to welcome the keynote speaker.

In his address, Ashcroft praised the great vision and pioneering efforts of
Weeders and Seeders, which he said demonstrate that "you don't have to move
to live in a safe neighborhood."

"Weed and Seed has dedicated people, people who care," Ashcroft said,
noting that since its 1991 inception Weed and Seed has awarded more than
$232 million to more than 300 communities. "We must go beyond that; we
must ensure that no neighborhood is left behind," he added, to much
applause from the audience.

Ashcroft discussed his intention for the U.S. Department of Justice to focus on
protecting citizen safety by emphasizing efforts to reduce gun violence and get
illegal drugs and drug traffickers off our streets. He asked EOWS to strengthen
coordination with other Federal agencies and programs, expand efforts to keep
illegal firearms out of Weed and Seed areas, and encourage partnerships with
law enforcement and the military--all elements of Project Safe Neighborhoods,
a Bush Administration initiative that is discussed in this issue of In-Sites.

Also during the luncheon, the second and third EOWS Director's Awards
were presented. Tracy Henke, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Office of Justice Programs, presented the awards to Capt. Melvin
Douglas of East Point, Georgia, and Mayor Shirley Villegas, City of South
Tucson, Arizona.

----------------------------

Weed and Seed has dedicated people, people who care. It is a maxim of
human relations that Weed and Seed demonstrates more than any other
organization. People don't care how much you know until they know how
much you care.

--Attorney General John Ashcroft

----------------------------

Celebrating a Decade of Success . . . Weed and Seed Style

----------------------------

Winners

EOWS Presents Awards

EOWS Poster Contest Winners

In conjunction with the Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference, A
Decade of Weed and Seed: Leave No Neighborhood Behind, EOWS
sponsored a National Poster Contest that tasked youth with drawing a
piece of art that embodies the theme "How Weed and Seed Has Changed
My Community."

Entries depicted different visions of Weed and Seed, but the winners were
selected based on colorful artistry, artistic talent, and originality. Copies of
the winning posters were on display in the Neighborhood Exhibit Hall
during the National Conference, and the winners were recognized during a
luncheon ceremony on Tuesday, August 28.

Entries were grouped into four categories based on the entrant's age. The
2001 National Poster Contest winners are

 o Juan Ranero, a 7-year-old from Laurel Hill Annex Elementary School in
Providence, Rhode Island, who won for his crayon drawing of a house under
renovation with the words "Thank you Weed and Seed" across the top.

 o Charles Wilson, a 10-year-old from Cascade Elementary School in Atlanta,
Georgia, who won for his crayon drawing of a revitalized neighborhood,
including the local playground, pool, community centers, school, and athletic
fields.

 o Pete Anthony Lee Bell, a 13-year-old from Stonewall Jackson Davis
Middle School in San Antonio, Texas, who won for his pencil drawing that
depicts weeding and seeding in a community ("out with drugs house . . . up with
safe house").

 o LaTorya Robinson, a 16-year-old from Southside Comprehensive High
School in Atlanta, Georgia, who won for a colored pencil drawing that shows a
community of people in one embrace and lists components of successful
community collaboration ("drug-free zone," "court watch program,"
"neighborhood watch program," and "neighborhood cleanups").

EOWS extends warm congratulations to the winners! Each has been awarded
a personal computer loaded with educational software.

The next National Poster Contest will be held in 2003 in conjunction with that
year's National Conference. Details will be distributed in late January 2003 to
allow youth ample time to design posters before the summer submission
deadline.

EOWS Director's Award Winners

Throughout the Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference, presentations of
the EOWS Director's Awards honored the accomplishments of the 2001
award recipients, namely

 o Capt. Melvin Douglas, Community Policing Division of the City of East Point
Police Department in Georgia, whose commitment and hard work embody the
meaning of community policing and make the East Point community a better
place to live.

 o Veronica Hartsfield, President of the Carver Terrace Tenant and Civic 
Association in Washington, D.C., who helped rid the Carver Terrace
community of drugs and crime and helps operate programs to revitalize and
benefit the community.

 o Sylvester M. Johnson, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police
Department, whose law enforcement and community service activities span
three decades.

 o Sister Carol Keck, a School Sister of Notre Dame and Executive Director
of the Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Inc., in Philadelphia, whose efforts
include driving drugs and criminal activity out of the Norris Square
neighborhood and building coalitions between community residents, law
enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

 o Leslie Nesbitt, National Executive Director of the Urban Financial Services
Coalition, Washington, D.C., who has developed and directed community
development and youth leadership programs. 

 o Gloria Ross, Midtown Edmondson Community activist in Baltimore,
Maryland, who has contributed her time, love, and energy to working with local
youth for many years.

 o Shirley Villegas, Mayor of South Tucson, Arizona, who has implemented
public policies related to community development, economic development,
public safety, and housing and human services. She cochairs the South Tucson
Weed and Seed program and is program coordinator for the Las Artes Youth
Arts and Learning Center, an award-winning youth arts and education program.

Mayor Douglas H. Palmer also accepted an award honoring the City of
Trenton, New Jersey, one of three cities first chosen to implement the Weed
and Seed strategy. In 10 years, the City of Trenton has revitalized
neighborhoods, increased community safety, and established community
policing and prevention and intervention programs.

A few years ago, EOWS Director Stephen Rickman created the EOWS
Director's Awards to recognize at national EOWS conferences those
individuals who have championed causes for Weed and Seed. The Director's
Award, a sturdy house-shaped glass statuette, is etched with the recipient's
name and commemorates the strength of his or her commitment to the Weed
and Seed strategy. Director's Awards have been presented at the EOWS
National Conferences of 1999 and 2001 and the 2000 Weed and Seed Law
Enforcement Conference.

Accreditation Graduation

During the National Conference, approximately 200 Weed and Seed sites
received Site Accreditation Awards in a graduation ceremony held in the Grand
Ballroom on Wednesday, August 29. It was a special moment for many site
team representatives who have committed much time and effort to their local
Weed and Seed initiatives. Each site team attended two 4-day trainings in
2001. EOWS will continue accreditation training for sites in the northeastern
region of the United States and will offer an additional session in 2002 for
people new to Weed and Seed as well as site staff who were unable to attend
the training this year.

----------------------------

EOWS would like to thank a very special winner, Linda Fitch. She worked
miracles coordinating the exhibition hall for the Weed and Seed 1999 National
Conference in Houston, Texas, and returned to again "wow" our guests in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We don't know how she does it, but we're so glad
she does! Thank you, Linda!

--Nancy Ware, Director, EOWS Technical Assistance and Training
Division

----------------------------

NOWS Hosts Session on Faith-Based Initiatives

The National Organization for Weed and Seed hosted a standing-room-
only workshop following Sunday's Learning Labs that outlined funding
and technical assistance resources for implementing faith-based and
community initiatives. Guest speaker Rev. Marcus W. Harvey inspired the
crowd and commended them for their commitment to community service.
Reverend Harvey is the U.S. Senate Congressional Fellow to Senator Rick
Santorum (Pennsylvania) and Special Advisor to the White House Office
of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

----------------------------

WEB Sight

The Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference, Leave No Neighborhood
Behind, gave many site teams new energy and the motivation they needed to
recharge their local initiatives. Immediately following the National Conference,
sites looked for new ways to jumpstart their strategies. Believing firmly in the
power of self-promotion, EOWS encourages all sites to advertise their activities
via press releases. Used as a marketing tool, a well-crafted press release is an
inexpensive way for any site to keep the public up to date on local events,
initiatives, and accomplishments. And when press releases are covered by
broadcast and print media, the Weed and Seed strategy is promoted outside
the target area . . . and that can attract great support and additional resources.

In Gulfton, Texas, for example, the Weed and Seed site continues to receive
calls of support from employees at area corporations and businesses who have
learned about the changes happening in a neighborhood once viewed as very
dangerous. When the local paper ran a story about a SeedTech Learning
Center opening in the Weed and Seed site, Site Coordinator Nylene Qasem
says she received calls immediately from people who wanted to volunteer at the
center. 

"After the newspaper ran the story, I was surprised by the number of calls I
received. One came from a stock broker who now teaches ESL [English as a
Second Language] two nights a week in our center, and another call came from
a tax attorney. He now volunteers in our computer center and provides tax
services and advice, something that most of our residents don't otherwise have
access to," explained Qasem. The Gulfton site has received calls of support
from management staff at corporations in the area such as Duke Energy, which
offered to partner the company's employee volunteer program with Weed and
Seed site programming. The outpouring of support, Qasem believes, is the
result of the media network the site has tapped into in the Gulfton area. 

With a little practice, site staff can learn how to write their own press releases.
Conducting an Internet search on the topic will deliver many Web pages
committed to writing press releases, and sites should use these free resources to
"learn the ropes" of press-release writing. 

Meanwhile, In-Sites provides here a walk-through of the U.S. Department
of Justice's (DOJ's) online Press Room, where thousands of press releases
are posted to educate the general public, particularly the media, about
DOJ-related news. These timely and concise press releases also serve as
excellent models for writing novices.

Every DOJ component posts its press releases online, and the public can
readily access them by clicking on the "Press Room" link at www.usdoj.gov.
Press releases issued by the Office of Public Affairs or individual DOJ
components since July 1994 can be found in this section of the site, which also
houses speeches and statements by the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney
General, the Associate Attorney General, and other senior DOJ officials and
congressional testimonies.

Once in the Press Room, visitors can click on the "components" link to access,
for example, news on activities supported by the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service. Information on U.S. Attorneys' Offices in specific
districts, including press releases highlighting recent prosecutions and
indictments, is available by clicking on the "U.S. Attorneys Press Releases" link.
Also from this page, visitors can access the text of speeches made by Attorney
General John Ashcroft, including his address at the National Conference!
Posted here also are remarks made by the Attorney General at Weed and
Seed sites in Mobile, Alabama, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bookmark
www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches.html, and check back often for more speech texts
as the Attorney General visits more Weed and Seed sites in the coming months.
 
Finally, the Office of Justice Programs posts press releases announcing program
and grant news for public access at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/press.htm. Visitors can
access announcements and press releases dating back to 1997.

Sites looking for further guidance on press releases and other marketing efforts
should visit the EOWS Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/marketing.htm.

----------------------------

Your News Is Good News! 

Most of the news coming out of Weed and Seed target areas is not simply
"good news"--it is good news from an area that, at one time, delivered much
bad news. The media love to publish "human interest" stories about positive
change, such as those coming out of Weed and Seed neighborhoods. The
challenge for sites is to get their news into the hands of the local media. Media
networking should be an agenda topic at every Steering Committee
meeting--to, at least, identify newspapers, radio and television stations, and
magazines in the area that may, over time, become your site's biggest ally!

----------------------------

CONFERENCE CORNER

Regional Meetings

Statewide and regional meetings are growing in popularity for Weed and Seed
sites across the country. The State of Arizona just wrapped up another
successful statewide meeting at which both Officially Recognized sites and
developing sites networked and exchanged stories of failure and success. In
January 2002, a West Coast regional meeting will be held in Salinas, California.
These trainings require much commitment from the host site or the U.S.
Attorney's Office (USAO) that coordinates the event; however, the rewards
are tremendous. Sites or USAOs interested in learning more about coordinating
a regional conference are encouraged to contact their EOWS Program
Manager.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative (see page 4) was recently
announced by the Attorney General. OJP is developing a 1-day informational
review of the components of Project Safe Neighborhoods and other anti-gun
violence initiatives. Any site hosting a regional or statewide training for Weed
and Seed is encouraged to add this training to its agenda. To request support
for your training on this topic, please contact Program Manager Andrew Press
at EOWS at 202-307-5965. 

Conferences for 2002

EOWS and its national partners offer many training opportunities throughout the
year. Sometimes it is difficult for sites to attend them all. Here EOWS provides
a "heads up" so that sites may forecast and plan their travel for the remainder of
2001 and 2002.

These training sessions are in the development stage only and may be changed
or canceled. The following information is provided solely for budget and
calendar planning, and to offer sites an opportunity to provide their input in
advance. Any questions regarding these workshops should be directed to
Nancy Ware, Director of Training and Technical Assistance at EOWS, at
202-519-1152.

 o Weed and Seed Application Training Workshop--February 2002.

 o Accreditation Training I and II--March and April 2002 (for new sites and
sites unable to attend in 2001).

 o Weed and Seed Task Force Training--June 2002.

 o Faith-Based Initiatives in Weed and Seed--June 2002.

 o Community Leadership Training for Target Area Residents--July 2002.

 o Topical Session Training--September 2002.

 o The National Crime Prevention Council's Annual Conference--October
2002.

----------------------------

EOWS NEWS

Weed & Seed

FBI Executive Fellow Program 

EOWS welcomes to its office Lt. David Allender from the Indianapolis,
Indiana, police department. Lieutenant Allender, as a Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) Executive Fellow, will divide his time between EOWS and
FBI headquarters for the next 6 months working on Weed and Seed Safe
Streets projects. Safe Streets Task Forces (SSTF), also referred to as Metro
Gang Task Forces, bring together personnel from Federal (FBI and Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), State, and local law enforcement agencies. In
each Weed and Seed site, the SSTF is entirely dependent on partnerships.
Contributors "at the table" vary from city to city; however, they all support the
same mission--to identify and target individuals involved in criminal activities in
Weed and Seed areas. Lieutenant Allender brings to EOWS extensive
knowledge in task force initiatives targeting criminal enterprise. Both Lieutenant
Allender and Lt. Dennis Lane, an FBI Executive Fellow from Raleigh, North
Carolina, who joined EOWS in June, will work with EOWS Program Manager
Andrew Press to monitor and support law enforcement efforts for Weed and
Seed.

Site Coordinator Listserv

A few years ago, EOWS offered an electronic listserv for members of the
national Weed and Seed community. Recently, however, after receiving
numerous requests from sites, EOWS looked into upgrading this service by
targeting specific individuals supporting a Weed and Seed initiative. 

A listserv is essentially a mailing list for announcements distributed via e-mail.
Subscribers can receive messages from and post messages to other
subscribers. The Office of Justice Programs recently acquired the technology to
support this type of service onsite. EOWS launched its first listserv recently by
broadcasting a message to a mailing list of site coordinators. Approximately
185 individuals currently subscribe to the listserv. As EOWS becomes more
practiced in the technology, it will develop similar lists for members of law
enforcement, as well as fiscal agents and the general Weed and Seed public.
This service is meant to provide peer-to-peer mentoring as sites develop,
implement, and evaluate their approaches to Weed and Seed. Information and
subscription details will be posted on the EOWS Web site as these listservs
develop. 

----------------------------

Want In-Sites?

Free subscriptions to or past issues of In-Sites are now available! Send your
request via e-mail to insites@ojp.usdoj.gov, or call 202-307-6031.

----------------------------

For More Information

Contact these organizations or In-Sites Editor Romia Gore for more
information on articles featured in In-Sites, or visit the EOWS Web site for
related links at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against GunViolence
Office of Congressional and Public Affairs
Office of Justice Programs
Washington, D.C.
202-307-0703
askojp@ojp.usdoj.gov
www.usdoj.gov/safeneighborhoods.htm

Community Gardens Grow With the Help of Weed and Seed
James Hogan
Resident
St. Louis Weed and Seed
St. Louis, Missouri
314-776-7439

First Offenders Required To "Return to the Scene of Their Crime"
Beverly Ward
Weed and Seed Coordinator
Salisbury Weed and Seed
Salisbury, Maryland
bward@wicomo.org

Lumberton Weed and Seed: Holistic Approach to Implementation
Makes First Year a Great Success
Gwen Taylor
Social Worker
Lumberton Police Department
Lumberton, North Carolina
swapp2@aol.com

Sylvia Stone
Site Coordinator
Lumberton Weed and Seed
Lumberton, North Carolina
910-671-3997

Teresa Johnson
City of Lumberton
Lumberton, North Carolina
910-967-3844

EOWS Presents Awards
Weed and Seed Poster Contest 
Louise Lucas
Executive Office for Weed and Seed
Washington, D.C.
202-616-1152
lucas@ojp.usdoj.gov

EOWS Director's Awards
Mary Breen
Executive Office for Weed and Seed
Washington, D.C.
202-616-1152
breenm@ojp.usdoj.gov

EOWS News
FBI Executive Fellow Program
Andrew Press
202-616-1152
pressa@ojp.usdoj.gov

Weed and Seed Safe Streets Projects
Tacoma Weed and Seed 
www.safest.org/WeedSeed.html

Topeka Weed and Seed 
www.safestreets.org

Site Coordinator Listserv
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/listguide.htm

----------------------------

Community Resources To Help Families Recover From the Traumatic
Events of September 11, 2001

ParentCenter (www.parentcenter.com/general/34754.html) gives parents
advice on how to talk to children ages 2-8 about the events that took place on
September 11. This site also contains a variety of other parent-related
resources.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers "The
Disaster Response Kit" on its Web site (www.aacap.org) to assist parents and
children in dealing with the events of September 11.

The American Psychological Association offers "Managing Traumatic Stress:
Tips for Recovering From Disasters and Other Traumatic Events"
(helping.apa.org/daily/traumaticstress.html), a complete resource for friends and
families in the community that have been affected by the tragic events of
September 11.

----------------------------

November 15, 2001

Weed and Seed sites, remember this date! Sites are required to submit
reporting form SF269, "Financial Status Report," to EOWS on a quarterly
basis. November 15, 2001, is the deadline for third quarter 2001. Sites that
have questions should contact their EOWS program manager for more
information by calling 202-616-1152.

----------------------------

Photos 

All conference photos by U.S. Department of Justice photographers Darryll
Westbrook and Craig Crawford and In-Sites editor Romia Gore. Visit
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows.photo.htm for more 2001 National Conference
photos.

----------------------------

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