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My mother lives in Shelbyville, just a little ways south of you.

I took a couple of days off business a few weeks back and visited. Going back with the rental car I drove around Indy a while. About 10 years ago I spent the day in downtown Indy and was really pleased with what's happened there. What I saw on the west side was impressive in it's own right. Oddly enough, their English is easier to understand then what used to be spoken in those areas.

There are a lot of neighborhoods in many cities I visit that sure could use this kind of community activism.

My nephew teaches in Shelbyville. Small world, isn't it?

Thanks for corroborating my story. You are quite right.

A couple of years ago I had a part-time evening job which required me to cut through neighborhoods on the near East Side. Quite a difference in the comfort level I felt, since the streets in warm weather were full of families, young couples, people working on their cars, etc. Those neighborhoods used to be full of drug dealers.

Well, they HAVE improved the community, and I don't care much what anyone says. They don't live here; I do.

That's wonderful that your hispanic population are revitalizing your area, you are very lucky. The west side of Phoenix has become a slum from the incoming hispanic population. It's not that these folks don't work hard either it's just that they keep their homes and live as though they still live in a one room hut back in Mexico. Homes are improved with whatever can be found for scrap. Things are built against city codes, farm animals kept in 1/3 acre back yards, you get the picture. It's almost like 18th century American meeting 21st century American. I think the point is that all the coddling of Mexicans, something I think you'd be hard pressed to find for any other immigrant to this country, is going to make it very hard to ever move Mexicans from 18th century backwoods to 21st century AMERICANS. I'd feel much more comfortable with the influx if for one we did not have to pay to support them through welfare programs and secondly if they were not coddled and encouraged against assimilation.