CENTER CITY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
September 30, 2003

Present: Mehmet Ali, Fr. John Cox, Lt. Jay Flaherty, Meghan Kriegel, Ted Lavash, Bill Lipchitz, Russ Smith, Steve Syversen, and PongSathya Pholy.

The meeting opened at 8:30 am.

Ted Lavash has invited Steve Syversen to talk about his new business venture called “Van Gogh’s Gear,” an artists’ supply store located between the Higher Ground Coffee House and the Revolving Museum on Middle Street. Steve is an artist himself and a new resident of the Dutton Street building. Although he has already had a “soft” opening, the grand opening will be Friday, October 17th. The committee wishes him well in his new venture.

Bill reported that Linda King of DPD has asked the CCC to come up with a question to be asked of City Council candidates at the Candidates nights scheduled for October 8, which is sponsored, by the Housing, Hunger and Homelessness group. The members present discussed possible questions related to housing and came up with one dealing with affordable housing that will be formulated and submitted to Linda King by Bill.

Mehmet Ali introduced PongSathya Pholy, a substance abuse clinician with the Lowell Community Health Center on Warren Street. He talked about the lack of good quality affordable housing and high rents in general that are combining to make it difficult for minorities and others.

Lt. Flaherty reminded the group of the meeting to be held on October 20th with the Police Department and downtown residents. The meeting is related to issues raised by the recent block party events in the downtown and how residents and event planners can work together.

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 am. Actually, the meeting may have continued but the person taking the minutes had to leave.

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