Remembering the Past, Hoping for the Future

by Jessica Wright, Community Blogger.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Ms. Ileane Clayton, a resident of Lincoln Heights who has been very active in the New Communities Initiative. Ms. Clayton first moved to Lincoln Heights in the 1960s, where she lived for about four years. She returned to the project approximately eight years ago. In the following video clip, Ms. Clayton describes some of the changes to Lincoln Heights since living there 40 years ago.





Ms. Clayton also spoke a great deal about the New Communities initiative and her hopes for the project. She feels that New Communities will bring about a positive change and provide new opportunities for the residents. She is very active in her community, working hard to get others engaged in the New Communities process. However, like others I have spoken to, she is concerned about where residents of Lincoln Heights will live during the construction, and whether she will be able to come back. Ms. Clayton is fighting to get the New Communities plan in writing, as well she should when considering the broken promises at Northwest One. Hopefully, residents of Lincoln Heights will soon be able to not only remember the "good ol' days" of the past, but also think fondly of their present and future.