Today's North Side homecoming celebrates Rayen neighborhood revitalization, history

YOUNGSTOWN

When Joyce Davidson first moved to Cordova Avenue on the North Side more than two decades ago, she saw few people outside walking.

Now, when she looks out her window, she sees people walking their dogs and families taking a stroll around the neighborhood.

Davidson helped organize a Rayen Neighborhood Homecoming party Saturday to celebrate North Side pride.

The crowd was small, in part due to rain early in the afternoon, but Davidson described the participants as enthusiastic.

The event, in the parking lot of the Judge William Rayen Stadium on Benita Avenue, celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the Know Your Neighborhood Block Watch. Davidson and her husband, Benjamin, helped found the Block Watch when they first moved to the area.

“The neighborhood was going downhill,” Davidson said. “It was about restoring the sense of community and developing neighborhood pride.”

That same spirit of community motivated block watch members to organize Saturday’s homecoming, which included face-painting, games and booths from local vendors.

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.