8/8/2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1!n 0 0 r 0 C/1 %00 N Cl O O w 0 PCos 3ournat .3� 1 Thursday April 6, 2000 Stocks, Page D2 usiness Classified, Page DS Task force aims at self-esteem ■ The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce task force is looking for ways to improve the well-being of all county residents, hill Willi the primary Focus on the low income areas of Gifford and f ellsmere. By CHRIS KAUFFMAHN Press Journal Stan Writer At about 2 p.m. every day, �f people start gathering at a shady, spot at 43rd Street and Old Dixic Ilighway in Gifford known as the "Ugly 'free.- where they kill off Ibelr afternoons playing dominos, (itinking and socializing. The almost exclusively stale group is coluposed of young. working -age aduhs lelwecn the ages of 17 and 35. Not lot) I:Ir away, at 41%1 Sirml and Old Dixie, there is it similar gathering spol for older Gifford residents between lite ages of 40 and 65. The connnon ihrcalls anuoll (hese two groups is mosl of the people are physically able to work, but they generally have low sell= esteem, few skills and not much education. so, lhcsc nun erre job- less ill an econonly crying out for workers, and they have no hole for a better economic fultne its a country that is sewing unprem- dented boom tinges. The Workforce Enhancement Task Force, it component of IIIc, Indian River county ('bander of Commerce, wants to change all that. Formed hisl snnu11er :it the re. I� test of the county Con11nission, I le task lin•ee is looking for ways to improve file well -Irving of all county midculs, but with the pri- mary locus on the low income areas of Gilli►rd and Fellsntere. The [ask firrce will deliver it report of its findings to the county son►e- little ill.1111Y. ()in Wednesday. the [ask lirrce look a hus lour of Gifford to get a teller feel For the problems facing lite community. "Sonic (task Force) members arc seeing for the firs[ lime the in- lerior parts of Giflirrd," said hred- (lie Woollirrk, the chairman of the task three, who also runs the Gif- lord Youth Activities Center. "We W.1111 people to sec Ilse unentploy- 11nenl dilcouna in Gifford -- where peorle hang out and what they do. Anti we wan[ It) conte till wills all action 111.11► to help Iluul.' I le added. -They vital to make it, they lust don't know how." Pearly Ch:ntdler, the chamlter's execulive director, noted there have Ines efforts to improve Gif- ford's plight in the past, hill those were plecenleal aunt "trot all the pieces fit together." "This is a consolidated effort to create it solution ft►r lite economic problems Ihcre," she said. As Wtolli►rk said Wednesday. Gifford wasn't always an area of economic blight and he pointed out building after building that were once home to small. success - lid husinenes that are now hone to nm -down pars or have been a 1m ndoned' a h ogee her. Ile :tillibuted most of the proh- fent to the decision ill the Tale 1960s; to merge Gifford Iligh school with Vcro (leach dligh School. When they lulled the high school oul ill' Gilford, they pulled the heilit oul of Gifford., Wool - fork said.