What does a healthy, well-connected
community look like?

• Strong support of school system
• Strong support of people in community
• Being informed of things going on in the community
• Shop locally – spend your money in your community
• Working together to solve serious problems
• Forestry park & recreation, Illinois State Park
• No segregation in community everyone feels like they belong
• Zion, Winthrop Harbor, & Beach Park’ s park dist. Equal assess to each park facility without paying a fee
• Each park dist. Should mot duplicate activities, maybe one offer art & another offer dance
• Transportation: seniors, subsidized, metra train
• Get kids to activities
• Communication
• What happens in one affects all three
• Effects of Wal-Mart on downtown – all downtown business need to work together
• Need clubs – for kids & parents & from all 3 comm. (means lees gang activities)
• Kids don’t have anything to do after school so they hang out at the library
• Website for the ZB community
• Unified school systems
• Transportation between communities
• Economic challenges for gas
• Trolley is used a lot but need more
• Property taxes are high
• Need solid family system
• Get parents more interested in youth
• Communities that share success & help with challenges
• Call the area something different
• Create a new area
• Have community members know where to go
• Good communication – have central area
• Be neighborly
• Easy access to information
• Smoke free parks
• Financial help for seniors & people with low income
• Better transportation
• Boys & Girls Club
• Multi-generational experiences
• Community auditorium for the arts
• `Promote & use local business & services
• Sharing & cooperation
• Pride & ownership
• Ask what can I do
• Mentors to help families that are struggling
• Clean & beautiful comm..
• Respect everyone equally
• Lots of networking
• Knowledge of resources & help availability
• Safe & secure neighborhoods & public places
• Make parent Bee’s connection stronger
• We need comm. that network – build bonds
• Oversee kids activities
• Kids connecting with music, art, etc.
• At Northpoint we look at how we serve the comm. & members
• Solve transportation needs of seniors & others – every time seniors go to the hospital it’s $60
• We have trolleys – why won’t they connect to go to grocery store, etc.
• Values education
• Community pride shows
• Communication is effectively transferred to community
• Services are not duplicated
• Community database of services
• Activities that encompass entire community
• High # of community involvement in committees
• Leadership endorse/support ideas developed by committees
• Leaders work together between communities
• Variety of resources designed for elementary/ middle school levels
• Unity, love, & strength
• Unity brings togetherness
• Love brings compassion
• Strength defeats weakness
• A community where people live in harmony
• Develop a plan & follow through to a common goal people respecting others
• Educated parents 
• Drug prevention programs & support systems
• Cooperation – all to come together for common purpose
• Involves support for childcare – safety of children
• Leadership of all 3 comm. Working together – political, officials
• Leaders that demand change
• Less crime
• Mentoring – failure is not final
• Show youth there are more things/ values in life
• Churches working together
• Youth groups
• Resources
• Instead of compacting
• Programs that keep us from becoming dependent & do not overlap
• Events that include everyone
• Economic prosperity
• Youth be more involved in the comm..
• Build on strengths & work on weaknesses
• Unify school dist. – students get to know each other
• Park dist. Working together – kids involved In sports
• Broadly supported youth programs, Boys & Girls Club
• Public buildings open for use
• Mechanisms to share info
• Need information repository
• Neighborhoods & churches broadly integrated cross culturally
• Greater knowledge of our own resources
• Open lines of communication
• Greater pride of residents
• Reduce drugs & violence – deal with stress positively
• Better appearance of neighborhood
• Recognizable identity and belonging
• Things for kids & adults to do
• 3 comm. park dist.
• Jobs for youth
• Working together as one
• Comm. participation
• Look nice
• Safe
• Drug & Alcohol free
• Self promotion
• Control perception
• Keep our money here
• Be proud of what we already have
• Affordable youth programs
• Knowing your neighborhood
• Senior acceptance w/ youth and fellowship
• Support each other
• More entertainment
• More programs for seniors, low income, & youth
• More chain restaurants
• Everyone sharing the same values
• When needs are identified, the whole comm. steps up to help 
• Boys & Girls Club
• Expand Zion park dist. To Zion-Benton park dist.
• Golf/swim team is not apart of the park dist.
• No separation of the 3 comm.
• Unique style of each comm. would remain
• Don’t want to be in the headlines for the wrong reasons
• Comm. involvement
• Characters and behavior – attitudes
• Increase membership
• Strong city leadership from all 3 comm.
• Lifestyle changes
• A vision that shows us a positive path
• Tri-community shuttle/bus system
• Diverse in culture & age
• Safe feeling
• Well kept
• Neighborly
• Communicating
• Lots of wildlife & nature
• Feeling welcome
• Reduced taxes to make it affordable
• Recycle – refurbish old homes
• Respected & enforced codes
• Clan parks & rec. areas
• Pride in  our area
• Reaching out to others in need
• Community that knows each other
• Recycling programs
• More community meetings
• Jobs for the youth
• Clubs for kids
• Check ego at the door
• Model good values for all children
• Not only a reason for kids to come back but a reason for people to move here
• Invest in the comm..
• Keep downtown viable
• Take advantage of proximity to lakefront
• Tourism incentives
• Need to identify needs
• Good parental examples
• Develop respect for seniors
• Tap into faith comm. to work cooperatively
• Develop economic opportunities
• Bring safe environment to recreational areas
• Encourage good family relationships
• Neighborhood watch

Click Here to return to the Questions page.

Click Here to read the full Meeting Table Report.