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<br />Task Force for Seniors and Youth <br />Meeting Notes <br />February 10, 2011 <br />The meeting commenced at 6:40 pm. Two guests were in attendance, both of whom are business <br />owners in the Loop – Patrick Liberto who owns Meshuggah Café and Joe Edwards who owns <br />Blueberry Hill. The business owners were in attendance to discuss issues in The Loop, <br />specifically issues and concerns about youth and the curfew. <br />Discussion <br />Not all kids who come to The Loop live in University City. Some of the kids come in on Metro <br />Link. Business owners in The Loop are concerned about a small percentage of kids who come to <br />The Loop and do not behave. This results in a negative perception by patrons of The Loop. <br />Most of the business owners operate small businesses and perception of patrons does affect the <br />success of the business. They are concerned that people may not want to continue shopping in <br />The Loop if the kids are there. Some of these kids just want to be out due to not being in school <br />and summer weather. Some of these kids have no other organized activities they are involved in. <br />Also adding to the problem – malls do not allow kids after certain hours, so they have nowhere <br />left to go. <br />Ideas were discussed about getting these kids involved in projects or programs. In order to have <br />a positive impact, it must be something that really grabs the kids’ attention. This brings up the <br />question: How many kids want to be in a supervised setting? <br />Group members asked Mr. Liberto if he had any recommendations. <br />Mr. Liberto – Get kids involved. It could be theater, sports, etc. Kids also want to make money. <br />Questions/Comments and discussion: <br />-The Loop is a diverse atmosphere with a variety of businesses and services, a lot of <br />energy, and it is pedestrian friendly. What has changed in The Loop over the past several <br />years? <br />-People have moved out. Rent has gone up. There are more chain businesses now. <br />-How attractive is The Loop to young people? For example, there are clothing stores, <br />music stores and hair salons. Some of these businesses cater to younger people. <br />Mr. Liberto – Business owners are thankful for patrons no matter what age they are. <br />-Many kids simply have no place to go. They have been kicked out of other places such <br />as malls. <br />-Nobody is sure where every kid is coming from. <br />-Is it the goal to offer alternatives to any kid, or just University City kids? <br />-It was suggested that we should start with University City kids, even though all kids are <br />looking for places to go. <br />tm; <br />šE <br /> <br />