Martin Luther King Jr. Park Neighborhood

Thanks to all of you for your support of the Joeanna Cheatom Summerfest. The event was very successful, despite all of the heat -- neighbors were able to meet new neighbors and gather community resources, the community took part in the neighborhood celebration, and our neighborhood youth served as hosts and hostesses for the day, served sno cones, hot dogs, and cotton candy to hot and thirsty participants!

Justin, thanks for making the flyers and Jeanne thanks for posting on the poles around the neighborhood. Colete, thanks for making the checks available. Jeanne, also thank Highway Sidegli for singing - their voices are fabulous.

Thanks to Duvall Veasley and Blaxican for vending and selling food items and cool drinks. Marcus Brewer - thanks to you and Wells Fargo and also Deliverance Temple Church for also serving cool drinks on such a ''hot day.''

Monika - thank you for the Des Moines Steppers and Joann - thanks for helping us to secure Going with God Drill Team. Stephaney - thank you for your sons performance - P to the Ositive - I really enjoy them and it is so good for young people to not be afraid to praise. It shows other children that praising is cool too! Please let your boys know that we appreciated them for taking time out to participate. Don Brown, you are always a ''hit.'' You can bet, we will always call on you to play that sax! In fact, all of the entertainment we had that day -- just know I will call on you all again! Thanks so much. I don't have Big Seven's email nor do I have the email for Pluggy but I thank them both for participating. Kervin Veasley - thanks for the great work you are doing at the West Side Boxing Club -- you help young people channel energy and aggression in a positive way. The demonstration was awesome.



By Debra Carr - Assoc. President

2006 Joanna Cheatom Summer Fest!


Phyllis, Monica, Jean, Nina, and Jeanne - You all did so many things, I can't outline them all - thanks for the last minute running around, Pluggy, helping with posting flyers, typing schedules, telling people about the event - Jeanne - picking up equipment rental and Nina for taking it back, etc., etc., You all are a dream team - thanks again.

Thanks to Cissy Cheatom, just for being a pillar in the community and for providing a link from our past to the present. We honor and respect you for all that you do and have done for the community.

Pastor Bastian and Pastor Cheatom - thank you for the tables and chairs. We could have not had people disseminating information without the tables and chairs -- thank you very much! Pastor Cheatom, thanks for the t-shirts, getting the stage, setting up and tearing it down and delivering it back to Creative Visions. Ako, and Dudley Muhammad - thank you for allowing us to use the stage from Creative Visions - our kids enjoyed dancing on it and it was an excellent spot for Don Brown to play the sax. Also, thank you so much for donating the bike to the dance contest winner. The young lady was so excited and her grandmother was so happy about this. We will have to have more prizes next year! That was so much fun. Pastor Cheatom, thanks for the DJ - Charles Webster, he did a good job.

Teva - thanks for having the city to bring more trash cans. We really needed them, thanks for your fast work.

Eric - Wells Fargo - thank you for your support and sponsorship - also thank you and the banker that was there for distributing information. I know that it was really hot, but you were there for us.

I don't have the email for VNS and the John R. Grubb YMCA - Please let them know that I thank them for offering free memberships and for sharing community information.

Thanks to United Way and Iowa Comprehensive Human Services for the summer youth program. The families wanted jobs for our youth and you helped make it happen. An article should be out in the Des Moines Register on Tuesday, so please look for it.

Margaret, Dawn, Teresa, Brandy and Ellen - thank you for your support. Dawn, thanks for sharing contact information and for the small grants program -- your support really makes a difference in our ability to present positive activities for our neighborhood. Teresa - thanks for covering the event. You left you folder with me with the releases in them. Let me know when you want to come by and get them. You stayed for a long time and I know you got great shots. Please email photos of put them on a disc for me. Brandy - thanks for your work on helping me make connections. Ellen, thanks for helping to produce the press release for TV media. I really needed your assistance and you came through. Thank you all.

If I have forgotten anyone please charge it to my head and not my heart! Together everyone achieves more (TEAM) Thank you for coming, helping out, sharing the information with others, we could not have done this without your support.

Have a wonderful week!

Debra Carr - President, Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association

By Debra Carr