SPAR revolt?

[ChriswUfGator]

It's not untipical for organizations such as SPAR to lose focus of their mission. Do they have a mission statement?

This is from the SPAR Bylaws which are posted here:
http://www.sparcouncil.org/images/stories/Bylaws_2008.pdf

ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSES
The purpose of the Corporation is to stimulate preservation, reinvestment, and community
activism in Springfield Historic District, while maintaining the integrity of its structures and history.
The mission of the Corporation is to provide leadership to the residents of Historic Springfield
to revitalize, preserve, and restore the community through its diverse programs.
In addition, the Corporation is formed for the purposes of performing all things incidental to, or
appropriate in, the achievement of the foregoing specific and primary purposes. However, the
Corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any
powers that do not further its specific and primary purposes.

[ChriswUfGator]

The few vocal, negative posters here that are demonizing and misrepresenting SPAR should look into the facts. SPAR is a neighborhood organization run by volunteers. Their board is just like any other board, made up of volunteers that meet once a month. Anyone can come to any meeting and be heard. By the way everyone is welcome at the monthly roundtable meeting, block captain meeting, SHADCO meeting, and Women's Club meeting also. The SPAR staff are in the office to collect information, answer questions and help residents and businesses when they can. SPAR, or any other organization for that matter does not have the power to be everything to everyone, it's just not realistic. If you attend any of the functions or meetings in Springfield you will see the same people working, VOLUNTEERING over and over again. This group is very diverse but the one thing they have in common is they are doers. We, as residents, are SPAR. On a recent cleanup that my family took on in the park I had several people come over to see what we were doing and comment that they would have helped if they had known and complained that SPAR didn't inform anyone. Well how could they have, when it was just something we felt was needed and instead of talking about it just did it. I'm so tired of hearing people say that SPAR doesn't represent them. What if your views are not in line with the majority of residents? What if they are but it is not known because you do not show up at anything to make your opinion known. SPAR cannot read your minds. Get out and get involved. Work for issues you believe in and quit griping when things don't go your way. We are a diverse neighborhood and will never all agree on anything. That's what makes us unique.

[CityLife]

Chris and Stephen, your hate for Springfield and SPAR is really unhealthy.

At some point you just have to put the past behind you. I never would have met my wife if I had stewed about my ex gf for years on end....

[fsujax]

I wish all these negative Springfield threads would just die. Everytime I see one pop up my heart sinks and I think to myself, what is wrong now! Fortunately, my everyday living in the neighborhood doesn't reflect what is most often portrayed on this site.

[CityLife]

Chris and Stephen, your hate for Springfield and SPAR is really unhealthy.

At some point you just have to put the past behind you. I never would have met my wife if I had stewed about my ex gf for years on end....

ah.  I think you were saying the same thing before the fast track demolitions, the toxic waste notifications, the fight to prevent a black man from opening a car wash and the attempt to push out all the unapproved by SPAR people were made manifest.

Well Jeremy, what if your attempts to dismiss all of the concerns raised by the neighborhood had been successful back then?

At a certain point, you personally have to take some responsibility for giving these people cover, don't you?

You were calling the attempts to expose all of the above mentioned stuff 'hate' back then too.

Turned out you were wrong.

Now the neighborhood has responsible groups like SOS and Sustainable Springfield looking out after its interests.

I've never once had anything to do with rooming houses or demolitions in Springfield in my life other than to come on here and say that you were grossly exaggerating or conjuring up crazy scenarios based on small bits of info. Remember when you said that SPAR was trying to change the zoning overlay to say that no more than 3 unrelated individuals could live together? Yea never happened.

I also had nothing to do with the toxic ash info and was fully supportive of the group who was fighting the city and EPA. Not sure how that relates to anything.

Also didn't oppose the carwash. In fact I shook Silas hand at the SAMBA meeting and congratulated him the day of the approval. I even played devils advocate in Silas's favor to several SPAR and non SPAR people about their stance on the carwash.

I didn't provide cover, just simply didn't like your continual use of hyperbole, exaggeration, and construing of the truth.

I don't have time to worry about all these past issues, conspiracies and what not. All I know is they are unhealthy to still be bringing up.

[CityLife]

I wish all these negative Springfield threads would just die. Everytime I see one pop up my heart sinks and I think to myself, what is wrong now! Fortunately, my everyday living in the neighborhood doesn't reflect what is most often portrayed on this site.

That is because the people who bring them up don't even live in the neighborhood.

[CityLife]

Citylife, what a crock.  Your fairly poisonous comments and vapid exaggerations from when you were a SPAR employee pepper this very thread.

Do you live in the neighborhood at present?

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

fo' rizzle?  look me up sometime and we can be hateful together!  granted, we hate different things--but the hatefulness, rather than the target, is the important bit, right?

(commacommacommacommacomma--i seem to be a big fan ov those today)

[CityLife]

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

fo' rizzle?  look me up sometime and we can be hateful together!  granted, we hate different things--but the hatefulness, rather than the target, is the important bit, right?

(commacommacommacommacomma--i seem to be a big fan ov those today)

I'm not a hateful guy in the slightest. Anyone who knows me in person knows that.

And the only thing that bothers me in Springfield is crime (which really isn't bad at all), so yea if you like crime then I guess maybe we stand for different things.

[02roadking]

I really did not want to post, but, how does reviving this thread of 55 pages of negativity (and now still going) help at this point?

[Jimmy]

I really did not want to post, but, how does reviving this thread of 55 pages of negativity (and now still going) help at this point?

I'm glad someone asked.  That happens a lot here.  For no obvious reason, someone comes along and posts quoted material from ages ago.  And then everyone heads for their same bunker to hurl the same insults from ages ago.  Pointless?  Or am I missing something?

[fsujax]

Its a slow day in someone's Metrojacksonville world!

[Timkin]

I really did not want to post, but, how does reviving this thread of 55 pages of negativity (and now still going) help at this point?

I'm glad someone asked.  That happens a lot here.  For no obvious reason, someone comes along and posts quoted material from ages ago.  And then everyone heads for their same bunker to hurl the same insults from ages ago.  Pointless?  Or am I missing something?

  .. I don't remember hurling insults on any of the pages I revived. I simply did not check the dates  

[Jimmy]

Not talking about you, Tim.

[ChriswUfGator]

Citylife, what a crock.  Your fairly poisonous comments and vapid exaggerations from when you were a SPAR employee pepper this very thread.

Do you live in the neighborhood at present?

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

I had a couple dozen apartments in Springfield, but I never lived in them. So answer the question. Do you live in Springfield?