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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 02/16/2006 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2006 7:00 PM, 125 EDEN PRAIRIE CENTER Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Piumbroeck (Chair), Jeff Strate (Vice Chair), Gerry Beckmann, Linda Chung, Cari Maguire and Pam Spera COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Melissa Barra STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Jill Bartel, Rori Costello STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ABSENT: Sandra Moran COMMISSION STAFF: Molly Koivumaki, Staff Liaison Allison Burr, Recording Secretary I. ROLL CALL Commission Chair Piumbroeck called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. Melissa Barra and Sandra Moran were absent. Vice Chair Jeff Strate arrived at 7:45 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Linda Chung moved, and Gerri Beckmann seconded, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 6-0. Piumbroeck invited Sandy Werts to address the Commission prior to the approval of the January meeting minutes. III. NEW BUSINESS A. SANDY WERTS, EDEN PRIAIRE RECREATION COORDINATOR— 2006 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Sandy Werts stated she is present to gather support for the 2006 International Festival. She indicated this is the third year the International Festival has been held. In years past, members of the HRDC have helped with the event. She would like to meet less than six or seven times prior to the event and once following to evaluate the event. Werts stated 650 attended the 2005 International Festival during the course of the day. Upon review of last year's revenue and expenditures, it was at 60 percent subsidy. Over the last two years staff has learned a lot and settled on what kinds of fees to charge the vendors. Beckmann noted the date looks better this year. Werts stated it is two weeks later this year. Piumbroeck noted some of the HRDC members are on rotating terms, and three are up for either retirement or reappointment, so there may be some new members by that time. MOTION: Maguire moved, and Beckmann seconded, to support the 2006 International Festival and provide members to serve on the planning committee. Motion carried 6-0. Piumbroeck asked for volunteers to serve on the planning committee. Beckmann asked the date of first planning meeting. Werts responded she would like to hold one in March. Maguire asked when the new Commission members will come in. Piumbroeck stated they are interviewed in February, appointed in March, and begin in April. Maguire stated she will volunteer to work on the kids activities, though she noted she may not be able to attend all the meetings. Spera stated she would like to assist, even though she may not be able to attend the actual event. Piumbroeck stated he will play some role in the planning and perhaps in the event. Werts stated if any of the new members are interested, they are welcome to assist as well. She is trying to get the Arts Commission to get on board,but it has been short members. There are currently five openings and two up for reappointment. Werts thanked the members for volunteering. B. LYDIA KIHM, TEENS ALONE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR—HOMELESS YOUTH IN EDEN PRAIRIE Beckmann introduced Lydia Kihm of Teens Alone. Lydia Kihm noted Dr. Rob Ward had a conflict tonight and could not attend the meeting. She stated Eden Prairie has always been so supportive of Teens Alone and thanked the HRDC. Kihm stated she will provide a thumbnail sketch and then take questions from the Commission. She stated she heard in the "State of the City" presentation,that more and more teens are in housing crises and are couch hopping. She defined the term couch hopping for the Commission members. Kihm explained Teens Alone provides free counseling for middle and high school kids and parents. Eden Prairie constitutes 35 percent of the client load; there were 113 unduplicated Eden Prairie clients last year. Piumbroeck asked what other cities Teens Alone serves. Kihm responded Hopkins, Orono, St Louis Park, and Wayzata. She stated there are approximately 400 unduplicated youths being served. Kihm passed out the data for the first six months of this fiscal year. She noted that"throwaway kids" are defined as kids who have been thrown out by their parents. The median is at 40, and Teens Alone has served 75 so far this year. Kihm stated a homeless summit was held in November wherein she felt she was preaching to the choir because all attendees were on the same page. Kihm noted there are just too many kids in the western suburbs not in stable housing, and when they are not in stable housing, they tend to drop out of school. Transportation is not easily available to homeless youth. Kihm stated some Eden Prairie kids use The Bridge when they need to get out of a boiling situation for one to five nights. She noted Eden Prairie does not need emergency housing; it needs more transitional housing for kids for longer-term. Kihm stated since the November summit, monthly meetings have been held. The next meeting is next Tuesday, February 21. in Hopkins. Short- and long-term goals have been set. Representatives from the State, County, Cities of Plymouth, Eden Prairie and a number of other folks have attended the meetings. Kihm explained the differences between transitional housing, scattered site housing, and bricks and mortar housing, the latter of which is needed. She indicated at the next meeting, short- and long-term goals will be discussed. Teens Alone will be leading the effort,but will not be running these housing entities. Kihm stated Larry Moen owns a number of boarding house-style establishments around the City,but it is mostly older men who live there, and it may not be the best fit for younger kids who may feel isolated there. Kihm passed around the most recent Teens Alone newsletter that includes tips for dealing with couch hoppers. Kihm stated she personally has had couch hoppers in her home, and most left after three days because she had the same house rules as their parents. Koivumaki asked if she will be coming to the City with a budget proposal. Kihm responded she is hoping the City will come to the task force meetings and provide some insight. She added HUD money has a lot of strings attached to it. Piumbroeck stated the problem is not just the housing; there are other issues as well. Kihm added it is chemical health, mental health, and keeping kids in school. Kihm stated maybe this can be expanded kids in their late teens and early 20s, kids who are out of high school and are working but cannot afford housing. She said she does not want to mix kids coming right out of rehab with kids who do not have chemical issues. Bartel stated she has a few friends who will fight with parents and ask to stay at her house for an evening, which is a different situation than kids who cannot ever go back home. Piumbroeck asked what the legal issues are if a child is not 18. Kihm responded the current newsletter outlines tips on that, advising a parent taking in a couch hopper to consult an attorney first. Piumbroeck noted if his child leaves, he is still legally responsible for him. Bartel added if a child proves abuse and/or a stable job and stable housing, the child can be emancipated. Kihm noted there are a few kids who are emancipated, but she does not want to give legal advice. Vice Chair Jeff Strate entered the meeting at 7:44 p.m. Beckmann suggested Kihm address how it is that kids come to Teens Alone. Kihm stated Teens Alone is called by the middle school, high school, or parent because something is not working. Then after meeting, Teens Alone finds out the problem is more than just breaking up with a boyfriend; it is truancy, chemical issues and other things. Sometimes the parents call because something is not working,but the kids refuse to talk. Beckmann stated Teens Alone goes into the schools. Kihm added that it is a free service, and the organization is funded by foundations, corporations, cities, counties, civic groups, individuals, and churches. Kihm stated homeless youth is a community problem,but there is a real will in Eden Prairie to address it. She restated the next meeting will be held at the Eisenhower Community Center at 3:30 p.m. on February 21. The solution has not been decided upon yet,but once it is articulated, the money will come. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JANUARY MEETING Piumbroeck noted there was an article on the Restorative Justice program in the Sun Current. Maguire stated Melissa Barra was unable to attend the meeting and requested to hold off on the approval of the January minutes until she is in attendance at the next meeting. Strate inquired how many sets of minutes have yet to be approved. Piumbroeck responded just the January set. Strate stated he has no changes to make,but indicated it is fine if Barra wants to wait to approve them. MOTION: Maguire moved, and Strate seconded, to table the approval of the January meeting minutes until the March meeting. Motion carried 6-0. V. REPORTS OF STAFF A. HUMAN SERVICES REVIEW COMMITTEE (HSRC) Koivumaki stated the HSRC did not meet on the first Monday of February because they met the third week of January to conduct business. That business conducted was funding recommendations for the Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) HUD recommendations. They had $40,165 to allocate to human services in Eden Prairie. The recipients include PROP, Greater Minneapolis Daycare, Home Line, and HOME (Household and Outside Maintenance). Koivumaki noted those recommendations will go forward to the City Council next Tuesday night. The only thing of interest to add is HSRC is floating a program to be funded with HUD money, and that program is Emergency Vehicle Repair. PROP used to do emergency vehicle repair, but now no one is doing that in Eden Prairie. Vehicle repair can be a tipping point; if vehicles are not repaired, people can start losing jobs. The intent is to start with seed money, and then every year capture some income from other programs and recycle that into the vehicle repair. Koivumaki explained HUD has specific ways to put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for procurement for this program. She stated Eden Prairie is working with a mechanic right now and with PRISM (a non-profit similar to PROP which serves the northwest suburbs) on getting advice on a model they use currently. There will be a limit on the kinds of repairs that will be acceptable, and there will be a limit on how much can be spent on repairs. Beckmann asked if the applicant comes to the City. Koivumaki responded yes, the applicant comes to the City. The City will do the in-take. The program will start out very small, and at this point it is not clear whether the program will be free. The applicant will be asked to fund up front a portion to the garage, and then the City will fund a portion, and hopefully the garage will offer a discount. Piumbroeck asked if Hennepin Tech can be utilized. Koivumaki responded a lot of their work is curriculum-based,but the City always keeps them in mind. She stated the program has to be approved by the Council next week. Strate asked how much money the City will be asking for. Koivumaki responded HSRC is proposing $3,165 for seed money. The key to the program will be to establish a built-in funding stream that recaptures dollars from other HUD programs that the City runs. For example, if a resident takes out a rehabilitation loan from the City, the City gets money back and that is income, so 15 percent of that can be fed into other programs. That is a fantastic use of CBGD funding. B. BIAS CRIME ACTIVITY STATUS Koivumaki stated there is nothing to report for bias crime activity. Koivumaki stated Wooddale Church has been a big supporter of the tutoring program in the office. They provide tutors for ESL and cultural tutoring, particularly for Somalis, and they match folks to help them learn. A Somali tea is going to be held, which will be the second one they have done. It is March 14 at 7:00 p.m. across the hall from the meeting room. All the HRDC Commissioners are invited to attend. Beckmann stated this is a wonderful way to interact and get to know people. Koivumaki stated one application has been received for the Human Rights Award and several phone calls have been received asking for more information. Maguire stated the Wooddale tutoring program sounds like a good idea for the award. Spera added it could be a couple of individuals or the program as a whole. Koivumaki noted March 31 is the deadline, and March 3 is the deadline for the scholarship. Koivumaki stated the HRDC was asked to participate in the Partnership breakfast and Beckmann attended a meeting last week. The title of it will be"Diversity in Eden Prairie: Join a Courageous Conversation on Race." There will be a panel discussion, the five panelists representing Native American, Asian, Latino, Somali, and African-American. Panelists will be asked to speak for five minutes about how race has impacted your life in Eden Prairie. Bartel asked how many people from each race will be represented. Koivumaki responded one person from each race will be on the panel. Commissioners who are there to help facilitate will help present the questions to the people sitting at the individual tables. Maguire asked if there is a method for facilitating at the tables, if there are rules for conversation. Koivumaki stated the planning process has not gotten that far yet. The next meeting is next week on February 23 at 8:30. Chung asked when the breakfast is. Koivumaki responded it is April 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and it will be held at St. Andrew Church. Spera asked where the planning meetings are. Koivumaki responded the meetings are held at the Education Center, Room 213. Koivumaki stated at the next planning meeting, the role of the facilitator will become more defined. This is a District program that HRDC is helping them with. HRDC would do it a little differently if it had been run by HRDC. Piumbroeck asked who will be in the audience. Koivumaki stated the whole community is invited to attend. Beckmann stated church people, business people, school people are all invited. The meeting is mandated by the State. Instead of having an annual meeting, they have taken this approach so that there is community participation and there are speakers. Every year they pick a topic that is pertinent to what is going on in the community. She added the topic is a bit veiled this year. Maguire asked Beckmann to elaborate on her comment about it being veiled. Beckmann stated there is concern of raising achievement of all students and closing the gap between the highest-performing and lowest-performing students. Koivumaki stated HRDC's view is if this is about the achievement gap, then the discussion should be about the achievement gap. African-American males are at the bottom of the gap; it is not immigrants. She stated another concern is what the panel will address, which does not sound like the achievement gap. Koivumaki noted Nanette Missaghi indicated that as facilitator, she will have some time to address these topics before the panel begins. Beckmann stated one can tell by reading the newspaper that a lot of people have a misconception that it is the immigrant who is causing all the gaps. Through testing, the gap has been found to be something other than that. Beckmann stated she read a quote in the newspaper about when race is brought up, a black person automatically things about how it impacts that person. A white person does not think about how race impacts them. Koivumaki stated there was some frustration at the meeting because it did not seem they were talking about the achievement gap when the panel was discussed. Beckmann stated the superintendent is going to speak, so she may bring it up. Bartel stated regardless if the achievement gap is discussed, this will be enlightening for most people. Some discussion is better than nothing, especially at 7:30 in the morning. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE Piumbroeck stated the Commission needs to discuss the scholarship selection process tonight as well as the funding. Maguire indicated she and Barra met to discuss the selection process, and Barra wrote up everything that was talked about. Barra also indicated after tonight the Commission should no longer be working on the selection process itself. Spera stated she has already seen the first copy of the process and provided feedback to Barra. She gave her three points, two of which were incorporated. Piumbroeck stated the selection process draft is well-written and is a good effort. He asked Maguire to define a talking stick. Maguire responded the talking stick is included in the context of ways to focus the group's discussion. The talking stick is used at the Y and is an old Native American tradition. The stick is passed around the room, and the person holding it states their strongest argument. Then there is open time for discussion, a vote, and tally of the vote. Each person comes up with their four top candidates Piumbroeck asked Maguire to clarify the scoring process. Maguire stated each Commissioner will vote on each candidate, and the top candidate gets 1 point, the second candidate gets 2, and so on. Then the lowest vote is the top spot. She added that the numbers will not be used at all during the discussion; they are just for purposes of the tally. Maguire stated she will clarify the language on the lowest score. She will include language stating each Commissioner ranks the top 5 -- #1 being the best, #5 being the fifth; scores are tallied; and the lowest score is the top. Piumbroeck suggested an example be included in the document to clarify the tallying process for future Commissioners. Piumbroeck questioned whether there should be a time limit for the final opportunity for discussion. Maguire stated Barra felt strongly about including that language. That discussion will include if the Commission wants to award both scholarships, one of them, or none of them. Chung suggested the timeframes for speaking be listed as suggestions in parentheses. Maguire stated she will adjust the language on the timeframe allowed by each Commissioner. Piumbroeck asked about the description of"Good" under the Essay portion, specifically when an essay has no substance and insights on the issues of diversity, human rights, and multiculturalism. Maguire responded she can alter that language. Spera stated that if Commissioners are limited to only the top four, then some of them may be ignored and the Commissioners end up being unfamiliar with a number of the applicants. Maguire stated Spera's point can be addressed. She does not like the policy that Commissioners do not have to rank every single applicant. Something can be included saying the Commissioner needs to read them all and become familiar with them. Beckmann stated HRDC owes it to the student to read and rank the application. Maguire stated HRDC should read and be familiar with the application, but should not necessarily do the numbers for each applicant. Maguire stated she will include a requirement that the Commissioners read and be familiar with all of the applications. Beckmann stated this document is a perfect example of how the Commission should be working. This is a tremendously good way for the Commission to get things done. Strate stated the language in the resolution should be discussed, given that there are some amendments. He also recommended that a review of the selection process be done after the candidates are selected. Piumbroeck agreed. MOTION: Strate moved, seconded by Chung, to approve the draft of the Scholarship Selection Process, Human Rights and Diversity Commission, with the proposed amendments. Motion carried 6-0. Maguire noted the following amendments: • After part 1, language will be included stating each Commissioner will be familiar enough with each of the applications to participate actively in discussion. • Under the "good" classification in Essay, the language will be modified to state "Token effort but lacks substance and insights." • Under Selection of Scholarship Recipients, parenthesis will be included to reflect these are suggested timeframes. Additionally, the chair has the latitude to change the timeframe as needed. • An example of tallying will be included. Discussion was held regarding when the review of the selection process should occur. MOTION: Strate moved, seconded by Spera, that the approved Scholarship Select Procession document be evaluated annually in the meeting following the awarding of the scholarship. Motion carried 6-0. Piumbroeck stated he received a summary of the financial position of the scholarship fund from Koivumaki. Barra has secured the $1,000 from Best Buy, and he suggested a letter of appreciation be sent. Koivumaki currently the total is $195 short of the $2,000 goal. Chung asked for hard copies of the brochure to mail out. Koivumaki stated she will provide them. Koivumaki stated Anchor Bank gave $250; Midwest Asphalt gave $50, and the rest of the donors are individual donors. Chung stated she has another$150 in contribution checks, so only $45 remains to be raised. Maguire offered to contribute the remaining $45. Strate suggested the HRDC discuss creating a fundraising event that actually works. Spera stated her mom has experience in working on annual fundraising events and will talk to her about ideas. Beckmann asked if there are restrictions on the Commissioners. Koivumaki stated he Commissioner can solicit funds,but the City cannot hold the funds. Strate suggested something be created in relation to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History month. The fundraiser should be something that sustains itself and will not take up too much Commissioners' time. MOTION: Strate moved, seconded by Beckmann, to discuss creating a permanent fundraising mechanism for the Harris Scholarship, and to begin discussion of the fundraising in the May meeting. Motion carried 6-0. Koivumaki noted the new Commissioners' first meeting is in April. Koivumaki stated the scholarship information was sent out to the Eden Prairie schools, and she asked Bartel and Costello to check if it is there. Last year the deadline was extended for a week. The City has not received any applications yet,but there have been some inquiries. VII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS A. SOUTH HENNEPIN IMMIGRANT SERVICES GROUP(SHISG) Beckmann stated Mike Schaitberger of Minnesota Workforce Center spoke on their program of helping clients find work. The packets include step-by-step ways to access the program. There is a very good website for summer work or internships at the St. Cloud website, and Schaitberger stated there are lots of jobs out there, so there should not be a problem finding work. Beckmann reported a first-time homebuyers information meeting will be held February 22. Beckmann reported free income tax help is available for individuals who make $27,000 or less or for families who make $37,000 or less. The assistance is provided through the Communication Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin. Beckmann stated South Hennepin Adult Programs in Education (SHAPE) is sponsoring intermediate ESL classes as well as civics classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Beckmann reported the Hennepin County Library will be starting a new program that requires everyone who wants to use a computer to have a library card. This has become necessary to address the long queues at the computers. It is easy to get the library card, and if someone is an out-of-state visitor,he or she will get a library card or a guest card. Beckmann indicated some people have been using the computers for four or five hours at a time. After using the computer for an hour, if there is a queue, the user must leave the computer and go to the back of the line. Bartel and Costello departed the meeting at 9:15 p.m. B. ANY COMMISSION MEMBER MAY REPORT Beckmann asked if any Commissioners have seen the movie Crash. Piumbroeck stated it is an excellent movie on race and is up for an Academy Award. Beckmann noted there was an editorial in the newspaper about the film three weeks ago. She suggested HRDC should consider utilizing the movie to start a conversation because it is a great movie that lends itself to conversation. She stated it would be an easy way to have a gathering. If only 20 people showed up, then there are 20 people there to discuss the movie afterwards. Beckmann noted one of the goals of the partnership breakfast is to have a framework or structure to continue the conversation after the breakfast itself. This film would provide a good way to do that. Beckmann continued that it would be wonderful to get 150 people to attend,but it would be okay if 15 or 20 people watched it and then got another 15 or 20 people watched it. Beckmann stated for the last several months she has been concerned about kids using internet chat rooms and meeting people who disguise themselves as kids but are adults. She referenced an Oprah program wherein a young boy was interviewed about a web-cam he had purchased and was lured into a bad situation. Beckmann stated the program reported there are staggering amounts of kids who are on the internet with web-cams, and some kids use the cameras to make porn. She suggested it may be a good idea to create forums to address this issue. Perhaps that is not within the realm of the HRDC,but it is food for thought. Strate stated it is beyond the scope of the Commission. However, the Commission can weigh in and recommend the school district create forums so that parents know what is going on out there. It is another disciplinary thing that parents have to worry about, and much more attention has to be paid to it at the local level. Maybe the Commission can send a letter to the school board. Maguire stated the letter should be sent privately, not from the Commission. Chung added it is not something the Commission is called to do. Spera brought up a recent Solution Finders meeting she attended. She noted Officer Randy Thompson does a fabulous job at the meetings. Some of the kids in attendance had been in trouble at the mall. After 10 minutes, a fight broke out among some girls who were actually outside the meeting and who were supposed to be having a mediation. Koivumaki stated these were all Somali girls, and the mediation was not supervised by a teacher or anyone else. Spera stated a girl ran out of the meeting and a whole crowd ran into the meeting and a big fight broke out. The officers separated the girls from each other. She related that Sgt. Thompson was upset that the boys were egging the girls on. He left with the one girl and was gone for the majority of the meeting. Spera stated the head of mall security spoke with the kids at the meeting along with another officer. Apparently a lot of Somali kids have restrictions where they are not allowed into the mall. The presenters stressed they are not picking on Somali kids, and that they are 5 percent of people who are restricted from the mall. He emphasized that if a kid has this restriction but is sincere about getting a job in the mall,he will let her or she get a job. Spera noted that prior to the fight Nicole from Parks and Recreation spoke to the kids about ideas they may have. It was a really cooperative effort. When Sgt. Thompson came back he said he was very upset and embarrassed and talked to the kids, explaining this is the opposite of what is supposed to be happening here. He told the kids violence and fights do not work. Spera stated she suggested to Sgt. Thompson that perhaps the girls may need their own meeting. For the Somali girls, it might be a harder adjustment to fit in. Maguire added there can be a lot more tension between the girls and their families about headdresses, et cetera. Chung stated that issue has come up before at a Solution Finders meeting she attended. Koivumaki stated the fight was a feud over a boy. The fight then replayed itself at the library. They went to get a room to have a mediation, and there was no one supervising it. The girls were in a room themselves; the police were called and it was pretty violent. Koivumaki noted she spoke with Sgt. Thompson today, and he stated there have been four fights among Somalis in the last three days. The kids coming in from outside areas, through open enrollment, are clashing with people already in Eden Prairie. He is afraid it is becoming a spectator sport to watch the Somalis fight each other. The problem is, the fighting is how it is settled. Maguire stated they need to learn they cannot do it in schools and in libraries. Koivumaki stated Sgt. Thompson indicated he wants to get the parents involved. He is frustrated because the threat of getting kicked out of school or police action is not a deterrent. Spera stated there have been police cars at the school in the morning, and her daughter mentioned there have been a lot of fights recently. Koivumaki noted it is both boys and girls fighting. Spera recalled a lady at the Solution Finders meeting indicated this fighting is nothing because Somalis have seen wars and killing in their home country. Koivumaki noted that these kids have not grown up in Somalia. That is why the parents need to get involved here. Maguire stated some of the parents do not understand how to parent here. They really do not know what to do, and they may not speak the language. There are studies about these role reversals where the kids are in charge, and a lot of it is because of the language. Maguire continued they no idea what their kids are doing when they go to school; they do not know how to advocate for their kids. Koivumaki indicated she will keep the HRDC up to date on what is happening with the situation. Maguire stated she and Barra discussed the idea of a gathering, where people get matched up to talk with others who are very different from them. Chung departed the meeting at 9:38 p.m. Spera stated regarding the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, she read something from Father Kennedy at Pax Christi and was impressed with it. In the first two paragraph he talks about how some people claim they speak for God. The rest of the letter discussed the postcard campaign pastors and priests have been asked to send out to legislators. Spera noted Kennedy makes clear the church has no right to tell people how to vote and how to think. She noted his reasoning was extremely moving and very courageous. The conclusion of the letter states Pax Christi will is participate in the postcard campaign,but Father Kennedy will distribute blank postcards, not the prewritten ones, and will advise priests to write what they feel to their legislators. Spera noted Father Kennedy framed the issue in terms of equal rights. Piumbroeck stated Tom Pritchard and the Minnesota Family Council are behind the movement to ban gay marriage. The Archbishop instructed the priests to attend the Grace Church event, and only 22 priests attended from the Twin Cities. In fact, some priests stood outside and protested. Some of the more progressive Catholic churches are altering the postcards. Piumbroeck stated he saw Marian Wright Edelman at the Westminster Town Hall Forum today. The statistics on our kids are terrible, and families are in crisis. VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS /EVENTS The next meeting will be March 16, 2006, at 7:00 pm. IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Maguire moved, and Spera seconded, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:50 pm.