Pubdate: Sat, 18 May 2002
Source: Hartford Courant (CT)
Copyright: 2002 The Hartford Courant
Contact:  http://www.ctnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183
Author: David Owens

ANTI-DRUGS CAMPAIGN TARGETS A HOT SPOT

Traffic detoured from Woodland Street to Sigourney Street provided 
the Rev. Cornell Lewis and a team of anti-drug and anti-violence 
crusaders with plenty of exposure Friday night.

Passing motorists tooted their horns and flashed thumbs-up to the 
activists. People watched from their porches as Lewis and his group 
hung a sign that said, "Stop the Violence/Take Back the Community" in 
front of a house known in the neighborhood for drug dealing.

Kenneth Arnum, who has joined Lewis at several other vigils, was 
hoping some people from the neighborhood around Sigourney Square Park 
would join the enthusiastic drivers.

"I don't care about the cars," Arnum said. "I want to see the people 
who live in the neighborhood come out and show support. Then we'll be 
getting somewhere."

And that's been the whole point of ongoing efforts by Lewis and his 
activists - to maintain a presence in a neighborhoods and discourage 
drug dealing and gunplay. Lewis said he has contacted several 
Hartford landlords and he and his team will visit more neighborhoods 
during a summerlong offensive against drugs, violence and 
hopelessness.

The activists were invited to 156-158 Sargeant St. by the landlord, 
Carl Milner of Hartford. The vigil at Milner's 10-unit apartment 
house, which will continue today, is the first time Lewis and his 
followers have maintained a vigil at a house identified as a center 
for drug users and dealers.

"The dealers come into the building and deal from the apartments of 
the users," Milner said Friday afternoon. "That's the thing I want to 
deal with the most ... to stop the drug dealers from coming into the 
building and setting up shop in the apartments of the users."

Milner and the others said they have no illusions of ending problems 
at the house at Sargeant and Sigourney streets. Still, they said, the 
effort is worthwhile.

"Maybe when we leave they might come back," Lewis said of the 
dealers. "Maybe they won't. At least it will raise the consciousness 
of the people [and] show them that some people are willing to do more 
than run and duck their heads in the sand."

Several tenants said they welcomed the effort, although few joined 
the activists in front of the house.

Reaching people and giving them hope is the key, Arnum said.

"If we had the people in the neighborhood with us, they could 
continue what we're doing," he said.
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