Legacy project helps east side

Thank you for the [Bill Benner column on July 18] that lifts up our neighborhood. Too often the worst parts of the near-east side get all of the attention and this seems to be changing since the legacy project. A mentor once said to me, “First perceptions change then reality follows.”

I think we are making progress on changing perceptions of our little near-east-side garden patch that many of us are nurturing.

I appreciate the kind mention, but it is really the 600-plus residents who created the neighborhood’s quality of life plan who deserve the credit. I stand on the shoulders of these committed individuals and get way too much credit and attention. They are the secret recipe of our work and the reason change is happening in our neighborhood. I am just a lucky social worker that happens to be another hand in this effort.

You can always judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. And likewise, you can judge the Super Bowl Host Committee by this same standard. They had nothing to gain by partnering with us, yet they chose to take a major risk in an ambitious endeavor that could have failed.

The leaders of Indianapolis are what separate us from many other communities. [With] all of the past mayors or governors, whether you liked their politics or not, we have been a breeding ground for visionaries. Just look at the past several governors to get a real perspective.
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James Taylor
CEO
John H. Boner Community Center