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East Bayfront Neighborhood Watch
Boundaries – East Front St to East 6th St., Holland to Wayne Sts
The East Bayfront Watch was founded in 1993 by Mary Orsini, owner of Orsini’s Corner
Market, a corner store and informal social/gathering spot for residents in the
neighborhood. She founded it in response to complaints from residents about juvenile
crime. Joe Koehle and Del Birch joined Mary as co-coordinators in 1993.
Initially, the Watch met once a month in the basement of St. Hedwig’s Church. It took
about a year to solve the initial wave of juvenile crime; five neighborhood boys were
sent to detention for about a year -- this example was useful in stopping younger
children from engaging in similar activities (garage and car break-ins, trespassing etc.)
for several years.
In its first seven years, the Watch produced a monthly newsletter, held monthly
meetings, conducted an annual bayfront cleanup and special events. The East
Bayfront Watch started its own “Adopt a Park” before this concept became popular --
revitalizing Nate Levy Park in the 200 block of East Second and Third Street which then
prompted the Savacchio administration to install new playground equipment. In
September 2009, residents trimmed every tree in the park with assistance from Erie
County Adult Probation.
The East Bayfront Watch sponsored at least eight residents through the Citizens Police
Academy. Under the guidance of the Erie Neighborhood Watch Council, the East
Bayfront Watch was the first Watch group to undertake and complete a year-long
planning process with the McCauley Institute, Silver Springs MD sponsored by the Erie
Neighborhood Watch Council that secured additional funding from the city for our
neighborhood and adjoining neighborhoods.
With conditions in the neighborhood improving, the meetings were reduced to quarterly
meetings in coordination with the Bayfront East Side Taskforce (BEST) which was re-
activated by the Watch in cooperation with Erie Insurance Group and Hamot Medical
Center in 1999.
Today, the East Bayfront Watch remains one of the longest-running and most active
Watch groups in Erie. We continue to meet regularly, conduct neighborhood cleanups
and other activities to build a sense of community in Erie’s oldest neighborhood.
Meetings are held quarterly on the first Monday in March, June, September (second
Monday to avoid Labor Day) and December at 6:30 PM at the Polish Falcons, 300
block of East Third Street. Meetings are jointly conducted by BEST and the Watch.
There has been a dramatic improvement, starting with a sense of identity and
belonging. Unfortunately, the positive change is often limited to homeowners and not
the transient tenant population although we attempt to include everyone in our activities.
Several former crime spots have been eliminated, thanks to strong neighborhood
involvement. These include O’Briens, the guns-and-drugs bar at Third and German
Street (now Scotty’s), Mihalski’s Corner Bar at Fifth and German, and Pryors Place at
Sixth and Wayne Streets. Several problem properties including the steambath at Third
and German and dilapidated homes at 329 and 316 East Third Street have also been
demolished.
Streets and sidewalks in the neighborhood are cleaner. The bluff is no longer used as
a communal dumping ground. Neighbors routinely alert Housing Inspection to trash
problems at rental properties.
There has been significant re-investment in the neighborhood, both by private investors
and public funding. BEST has coordinated the construction of 20 new owner-occupied
homes with plans to build more.
We have a strong positive relationship with the Sinnott administration, Housing
Inspection and Erie Police Department. They know that the East Bayfront Watch and
BEST are the points of contact for any issued related to the neighborhood. They know
that residents are actively involved in making the neighborhood “cleaner, safer and
better for all.”
The neighborhood now has a focal point in the Heritage Monument at the foot of
Parade Street which was built in September 1995 to commemorate Erie’s Bicentennial.
The monument is maintained by neighborhood residents. Parade Street north of Sixth
Street was also rebuilt during the Filippi administration with new sidewalks, crosswalks,
historic street lights, bump-outs and corner gardens maintained by residents.
The East Bayfront Watch has taken the lead in organizing and/or participating in a
consistent series of neighborhood events including:
• Our annual “Beauty and the Bluff” Spring cleanup along Erie’s historic east side
bluff. The cleanup scheduled for Saturday May 1 will be the 17th annual cleanup.
• The “Cleaner and Greener: Great East Side Bluff Clean Sweep” in April 1995
which attracted over 300 volunteers from Erie and Erie County to clean the east side
bluff in advance of the Bicentennial celebration in 1995.
• Special events including our annual National Night Out celebration/party.
• Park cleanups twice a year -- Spring and Fall.
• Residents attending the Citizen Police Academy.
• Residents participating in the Weed and Seed program.
Goals:
Increase the number of owner-occupied homes
Demolish sub-standard properties
Create green space for future development
Maintain the appearance of the neighborhood, especially the Parade Street corridor
Maintain the Heritage Monument and our two city parks
Maintain and expand the gateway gardens at Sixth and Parade and at the foot of
Holland Streets
Work to reduce crime throughout the neighborhood
Create a sense of identity and belonging among all residents, especially children
Partners
Bayfront East Side Taskforce (BEST)
Erie Insurance
Hamot Medical Center
City and County government
Erie Neighborhood Watch Council
Boundaries – East Front St to East 6th St., Holland to Wayne Sts
The East Bayfront Watch was founded in 1993 by Mary Orsini, owner of Orsini’s Corner
Market, a corner store and informal social/gathering spot for residents in the
neighborhood. She founded it in response to complaints from residents about juvenile
crime. Joe Koehle and Del Birch joined Mary as co-coordinators in 1993.
Initially, the Watch met once a month in the basement of St. Hedwig’s Church. It took
about a year to solve the initial wave of juvenile crime; five neighborhood boys were
sent to detention for about a year -- this example was useful in stopping younger
children from engaging in similar activities (garage and car break-ins, trespassing etc.)
for several years.
In its first seven years, the Watch produced a monthly newsletter, held monthly
meetings, conducted an annual bayfront cleanup and special events. The East
Bayfront Watch started its own “Adopt a Park” before this concept became popular --
revitalizing Nate Levy Park in the 200 block of East Second and Third Street which then
prompted the Savacchio administration to install new playground equipment. In
September 2009, residents trimmed every tree in the park with assistance from Erie
County Adult Probation.
The East Bayfront Watch sponsored at least eight residents through the Citizens Police
Academy. Under the guidance of the Erie Neighborhood Watch Council, the East
Bayfront Watch was the first Watch group to undertake and complete a year-long
planning process with the McCauley Institute, Silver Springs MD sponsored by the Erie
Neighborhood Watch Council that secured additional funding from the city for our
neighborhood and adjoining neighborhoods.
With conditions in the neighborhood improving, the meetings were reduced to quarterly
meetings in coordination with the Bayfront East Side Taskforce (BEST) which was re-
activated by the Watch in cooperation with Erie Insurance Group and Hamot Medical
Center in 1999.
Today, the East Bayfront Watch remains one of the longest-running and most active
Watch groups in Erie. We continue to meet regularly, conduct neighborhood cleanups
and other activities to build a sense of community in Erie’s oldest neighborhood.
Meetings are held quarterly on the first Monday in March, June, September (second
Monday to avoid Labor Day) and December at 6:30 PM at the Polish Falcons, 300
block of East Third Street. Meetings are jointly conducted by BEST and the Watch.
There has been a dramatic improvement, starting with a sense of identity and
belonging. Unfortunately, the positive change is often limited to homeowners and not
the transient tenant population although we attempt to include everyone in our activities.
Several former crime spots have been eliminated, thanks to strong neighborhood
involvement. These include O’Briens, the guns-and-drugs bar at Third and German
Street (now Scotty’s), Mihalski’s Corner Bar at Fifth and German, and Pryors Place at
Sixth and Wayne Streets. Several problem properties including the steambath at Third
and German and dilapidated homes at 329 and 316 East Third Street have also been
demolished.
Streets and sidewalks in the neighborhood are cleaner. The bluff is no longer used as
a communal dumping ground. Neighbors routinely alert Housing Inspection to trash
problems at rental properties.
There has been significant re-investment in the neighborhood, both by private investors
and public funding. BEST has coordinated the construction of 20 new owner-occupied
homes with plans to build more.
We have a strong positive relationship with the Sinnott administration, Housing
Inspection and Erie Police Department. They know that the East Bayfront Watch and
BEST are the points of contact for any issued related to the neighborhood. They know
that residents are actively involved in making the neighborhood “cleaner, safer and
better for all.”
The neighborhood now has a focal point in the Heritage Monument at the foot of
Parade Street which was built in September 1995 to commemorate Erie’s Bicentennial.
The monument is maintained by neighborhood residents. Parade Street north of Sixth
Street was also rebuilt during the Filippi administration with new sidewalks, crosswalks,
historic street lights, bump-outs and corner gardens maintained by residents.
The East Bayfront Watch has taken the lead in organizing and/or participating in a
consistent series of neighborhood events including:
• Our annual “Beauty and the Bluff” Spring cleanup along Erie’s historic east side
bluff. The cleanup scheduled for Saturday May 1 will be the 17th annual cleanup.
• The “Cleaner and Greener: Great East Side Bluff Clean Sweep” in April 1995
which attracted over 300 volunteers from Erie and Erie County to clean the east side
bluff in advance of the Bicentennial celebration in 1995.
• Special events including our annual National Night Out celebration/party.
• Park cleanups twice a year -- Spring and Fall.
• Residents attending the Citizen Police Academy.
• Residents participating in the Weed and Seed program.
Goals:
Increase the number of owner-occupied homes
Demolish sub-standard properties
Create green space for future development
Maintain the appearance of the neighborhood, especially the Parade Street corridor
Maintain the Heritage Monument and our two city parks
Maintain and expand the gateway gardens at Sixth and Parade and at the foot of
Holland Streets
Work to reduce crime throughout the neighborhood
Create a sense of identity and belonging among all residents, especially children
Partners
Bayfront East Side Taskforce (BEST)
Erie Insurance
Hamot Medical Center
City and County government
Erie Neighborhood Watch Council