Why is it imperative that
we come together now?

• For investment in school & community
• Standardization, social services, double-dipping resources
• What is the standard for receiving services, duplicate messages
• Incomplete support – unified services
• Bring more business, do business with those you know, combine community business
• Collaboration
• Disconnect
• Competing for resources
• Strength in #’s
• History – positive & negative
• Bring diversity – the world is changing, we need to change the mindset
• Leadership – positive & negative
• Tangible concrete change
• Still three communities united but keep identity
• Services resources for youth
• Rail service for tourism
• Govt. communication
• Myzionbenton.com
• Mobile govt. in schools
• We are all talking together
• Moral value cost with kids
• Better funding for combining community
• Economic development
• Draw to this area
• Don’t have a draw for the east lake
• Communities come together but after the event – go back to own area
• People left out
• Strength in numbers – become one
• Govt. needs to work together – same curfew time
• Work together on the roads – resources might be the problem
• Some people have had negative attitudes towards our community, but it seems to be getting better
• We’re really one community because churches are filled with tri-community members and Zion Park Dist. Draws from all 3 communities
• ZBTHS big pull of togetherness – “strength”
• ZBTHS – very good school positive environment has so much to offer
• Zion is a hub
• BP – very little business district
• Zion has many resources that others come to – library, church
• People are now coming together, finally seems right
• Need to find what e can all work on
• Bond together for better prices & cost savings
• Do not have to incorporate
• Tourist destination – need all communities to work together
• Not being utilized
• Giving kids something to do
• What happens in one community affects all
• Strengthen bargaining power against larger communities (bring economic development)
• Physical proximity
• Share resources
• Already troubled times – getting worse
• As a way to prevent negative influences from gaining strength
• Improve coordination
• All communities on the same page for setting examples for the youth
• Strength in #’s
• More state benefits
• We share some resources such as the library
• Sharing mistakes and wins to learn from each other
• Avoid duplication of services and consolidate to save money
•  Need to offer assistance to those who can’t afford fees
• Make it easier for youth to participate in each community’s sports and rec.
• Parents held responsible for actions of children – all communities share and enforce this vision
• More emphasis on improving what we have
• Combine resources
• Identify 1 thing that will benefit all 42,000 people
• You can’t get different results doing the same thing
• Make a choice – move forward or accept the way things are
• People want o make the change
• We have 200 people here who care
•  The kids come together a the High School level
• When people are united, you get better-lasting results
• Involvement is the key
• Bee about the change
• Learn about local govt. in schools
• Come out of the silos
• No librarians for dist. 6 at all
• No librarian for W. H. junior high, only one for entire BP school system
• We all go to the same:
• Library
• High School
• Parks
• Swimming Pool
• Duplication of services
• PEC foundation database
• ZB is me website
• Knowledge of resources
• Greater input for ideas
•  Communicator for solving common problems
• Greater influence with govt. bodies
• Emergency services model coming together to solve issues
• Natural resources
• Bike trails
• Lakes
• Parks
• Check egos at the door to work for the betterment of our kids & community
• Pool resources – human & economic
• Eliminate duplication
• Strengthen in #’s
• More ideas
• O better coordinate resources & services
• To be more collaborative
• To strengthen the efforts of the community to make it stronger
• To establish a community network
• Strengthen in numbers – helpful to attract more resources to the area – funding, transportation, etc.
• To help prioritize needs of the tri-community
• To make our communities prosperous now to help our youth in the future
• To reverse the current negative trend
• Change is now
• Everybody is at the table listening now
• To better serve the needs of the community for growth
• Eliminate duplication of services
• People are discontent – fertile grounds for change
• Sharing rewards
• Good family relationship – “values”
• Neighborhood identities – violence
• Bring diversity to areas of the community that are historically non-diverse
• Pulling in different directions to achieve the same goal
•  “Family structure is lost”
• Individual power
• Noticeable changes in communities – potholes
• Strengthen each other
• Young people need to be more accepting of each other – their tomorrow’s leaders
• Stay at home are not prevalent
• Kids saying there’s nothing to do – children’s center
• Resources available without penalty non-district prices
• Kids hanging around school unattended
• Communication is key
• Check communities ego at the door
• Strength in numbers
• Kids don’t see boundaries
• Violence is out of control
• Cooperation, not competition
• Along with economic development is social development
• Natural boundaries  
• Need interdependence
• Children need to learn from each other prior to H.S.
• Economically we need to support each other
• Bring police departments into closer communication and cooperation
• We don’t want to duplicate efforts, resources, manpower
• Good example is being emulated be all the communities
• Good events need to be publicized
• Fear and lack of trust will only lead to violence
• Encourage good family relationships
• Encourage stronger neighborhood identity through neighborhood watch
• To get the 3 communities together more in case problems get out of hand we can solve them together
• To get the schools to a dress code & the communities
• Get medal detectors for schools, so that weapons can stop
• Get more strict with the curfew for teens
• More after school programs for the kids – Boys & Girls Club
•  Stop the taser gun from the community police
• More communication with the parents
• More strong support with all three communities
• More fund-raising & more grants for the teens for more activities
• One district come together as a whole
• Help provide a member for single parent families
• More opportunities now
• Negative perception has become our reality – it’s time to reverse this perception
• Election year – good time for change
• Set an example for younger people to cooperate
• No more duplication of services
• Sharing resources
• Joining together makes us stronger 
• Economic development
• Youth services
• Transportation – lakefront, parks, public spaces
• Pride – staying connected
• Pulling together our resources – finance, education, business, social organization, churches
• Children share the same high school – social & academic life
• We are one community even though there are boundary lines
• Adults need to come together as role models for children
• Cultural diversities & lifestyles to bring together will equal opportunities
• Must share our experiences to share our future – health, alcohol, drugs, gangs
• Getting to know neighbors – communities growing – important to know one another (businesses, individuals)
• Meeting of needs & answering the needs
• Energetic youth with no place to go – pull resources for recreation
• Pull together police & fire dept. to work together
• If we delay this it will never happen
• Generational changes – implement new changes
• Leaders (fathers) must step up & take their position
• Coordinate leadership skills from home to community
• Kids need to know value and understand their value in the community
• Children need sense of direction – embrace with emotional support
• Trickle down effect – show God’s love
• Need more action
• There is a lack of respect for self & others – character education
• Need more clergy to work with community in unity & love to build in strength & positive attitude
• The family structure is lost
• Change mindset of parents – renewal of minds
• Look at positives – not negatives
• Economic development – Olympics influence
• Get kids involved in planning
• Lack of relationship
• Lack of trust – downhill road
• You either become a victim or a change agent
• The younger generation is at risk
• Violence is booming/ fear/ trust issues
• We really are one person away from a miracle
• The way we are handling things now are not working
• Morals, values, sense of community has been lost – kids at risk
• Fear -> hatred
• Churches failing in relationships
• Programs are inhuman & generic
• We shove problems under table instead of addressing them – prison release sex offenders
• We come from different backgrounds and all end up here – need to share skills
• Communication needs to be open among all communities
• Being united can benefit all 3
• Gangs
• Economic – more jobs improve education
• Engage the lakefront
• More jobs
• Standard of living
• Work with chamber
• Breakdown the boundaries – everyone needs to participate
• Social responsibilities
• Standardize social services so they are not repeated
• Leadership needs to start from bottom to the top comm. -> Officials
• What can we contribute
• Lead by example
• Serve first
• No tolerance for disrespect
• Encourage development
• Get seniors involved
• After school activities are needed
• Need people to come back to community
• Get rid of “them vs. us” mentality
• 3 communities feed IHS
• Union there is strength
• Come closer together so things get done faster
• Join schools and libraries all under one name
• Need to welcome Hispanics
• More accomplished by cooperation
• Need improvement in
• Transportation
• Youth activities
• Community pride
• Accomplish more with cooperation than with competition
• Need kids to get together prior than high school
• Establish a common goal
• Share the same territory – taxes & dollars spent
• Cut down gang violence
• Clean up parks and streets
• Jr. highs should all share the same discipline so entry into H.S. isn’t a discipline adjustment
• Accountability would be instilled throughout educ.
• Employment & housing constraints
• We don’t just utilized the city we live in – all neighboring cities
• Pull together close proximity
• BP no police dept. uses LC
• Better use of shared resources
• Isolation doesn’t breed success
• All 3 zip codes use the same – H.S.’s and libraries
• Community dev. – block grant money
• All 3 communities mainly shop in Gurnee – no money coming back to us
• Should look to local public transport with in all 3 communities
• Success and problems coexist
• Resources
• Financial
• Recreation
• Education
• Library
• Employment
• Activities integrating seniors & kids
• Can bond all 3 comm. – churches, schools
  Boys & Girls Club is huge

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