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It’s a 3-day party for ‘The Brooks’
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COTTON CANDY: KeyAsia Thompson eyes the cotton candy being spun during the weekend reunion at Rockford Village, formerly called Kimmel Brook. The idea started as a 10-year celebration for the Center for Community Empowerment but quickly grew to include an overall Kimmel Brook celebration.
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BIG BEAT: Marcus Surles, 19, left, and Lafay Walden, 17, members of the Tribe of Judah drum line, perform Friday as part of the festivities at the weekend reunion for “The Brooks”, in Youngstown.
The celebration will last all weekend.
YOUNGSTOWN — The running children, cotton candy, popcorn, games and smiling faces at Rockford Village housing development are reminiscent of a small carnival — a carnival-like atmosphere with a purpose.
For three days residents living in the housing complex and those who once lived in the development will be celebrating the history of Rockford Village, formerly called Kimmel Brook, and looking toward its future.
The weekend will be filled with a list of activities for adults and children. A Kimmel Brook reunion banquet planned for the weekend has been postponed until September.
The Rev. Willie Peterson, event organizer, said the idea started as a 10-year celebration for the Center for Community Empowerment but quickly grew to include an overall Kimmel Brook celebration. He said the emphasis will be on the good in the community.
The Center for Community Empowerment, a faith-based social-service agency, hosts a variety of programs. The center serves about 75 kids on a daily basis and has helped more than 200 adults re-enter the work force with job training and skill development.
“The overall goal is to celebrate the Center for Community Empowerment’s 10th-year anniversary, and in doing so, we decided to celebrate being a part of this neighborhood with a Kimmel Brook reunion,” he said. “We want to remind the community that this is a great place to live, and we have people who grew up here and want to express that.”
The Rev. Mr. Peterson said he has received numerous letters and e-mail from former residents sharing memories about growing up in “The Brooks,” as it was fondly called by its residents.
He said there is a long list of success stories that have come out of an area “that many people didn’t want to even drive through” in the past.
Mr. Peterson said the housing development has made great strides in getting past the bad image it once had.
He points to the throngs of laughing kids making use of the facility to illustrate how safe the area is for families and how much fun it can be for young people.
The schedule of weekend events is designed to make the fun last for at least three days.
Disney Radio, sponsored by American Family Insurance, spent hours entertaining young kids Friday along with a list of games and a basketball 3-on-3 tournament.
Today there will be more basketball competitions and the All-City Dance Line in the evening.
A Sunday worship service at the community center will conclude the weekend.
Shalika Austin, 21, has lived in Rockford Village all her life. Now, with a child of her own, she remains in the housing development and can see the changes for the better that Mr. Peterson often mentions.
“It’s a lot safer than it was here before with a lot more activities for the kids and more diverse,” she said. “Events like this really build up the community. It encourages everyone to do more.”
Mr. Peterson said the event also is a fundraiser for the Center for Community Empowerment. He said the center took a financial hit with the recession, and it needs to recoup some of those funds. He said the hope is to raise about $25,000.
Mr. Peterson said he ultimately hopes to meet the fund-raising goal and let everyone know how safe the former Kimmel Brook area is.
jgoodwin@vindy.com