A Walk Down Memory Lane In The Hawthorne Eco Village...

Photo By John Hoff

Pam Patrek, who has previously been known as "Patty Cake" on this blog to protect her identity, sent me an email talking about how far the Hawthorne Eco Village area has come in just over a year and saying she no longer feels the need to use a fake name, apparently because of her increased sense of safety and well-being.

Pam Patrek says as follows...

April 23, 2008 was the anniversary of the robbery at my house, and exactly two weeks later on May 7, 2008 they broke in again. Since then, I have installed an alarm system and decided to stay.

I have also met some of the nicest, most helpful and hopeful people anyone will ever meet, i.e. Jeff Skerenes, (Hawthorne's Housing Director) HNC Chair Peter Teachout and his family. Inspector Mike Martin. Mike Christensen from CPED, and of course you, Blogger Extraordinaire.

I have watched the neighborhood go from nightly 911 calls for any number of
reasons ( I'll let you name them) to just two calls for shots fired, in 3 plus months.


Crack/dealing/ prostitution apartments are now (literally) green pastures, and I think the sun is shinning brighter over here. I've even seen an eagle flying above my
house.( I think thats a "cease fire" symbol, Isn't it? )

(JNS answers: I think it's more a symbol of the government's power, authority, and ability to protect us)

It's been a very sad AND productive year. One of the things I stopped doing this spring is putting my convertible top up on my car before I drove in or out of the neighborhood. When I come home I've stopped looking at the porch window to see if it's broken before I walk in my house. I know we've come a long way but, I also believe the best is yet to come.

Thats my walk down memory lane Thanks Johnny.

Pam Patrek

Oh yea, one other thing. I don't feel the need to be Patty Cake anymore.

JNS says: for those who want to buy in to this amazing area called the Eco Village, where crime has dropped so dramatically, and so much development is planned, it is the area bordered by Lyndale Ave. N. to 4th St. N., and Lowry Ave. N. to 30th Ave. N.

Just find the Bangkok Market on Lyndale and you'll be right there. And, please remember, the "pig organ stew" includes testes. I'm not saying it ISN'T delicious, I just thought, well, you know...

Might want to know a thing like that.