By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wearing her jammies and holding a blanket, Victoria Francetic opened her front door Friday afternoon to find the city mayor and university president on her porch.
As they took their annual East Wooster Street stroll, Bowling Green Mayor Dick Edwards and BGSU President Rodney Rogers greeted Francetic, a political science major, and her roommate, criminal justice major Natalie Macquarie.
The visits have a dual purpose – welcoming the students back to Bowling Green and asking them to be good neighbors to the permanent residents in the city.
Though it came as a shock, Francetic said she appreciated Edwards and Rogers taking the time to stop by. “I think it really is a sign of respect, to know members of the community,” Francetic said after the dignitaries left her door.
As for wearing her pajamas for the afternoon visit, Francetic said she was OK with that.
“This is the outfit I’d want to wear to meet the mayor,” she said with a smile.
This is the seventh year for the mayor and university president to team up for the Wooster walk. The surprise visits are intended to present a unifying message and encourage good behavior. A letter was left at each residence with some tips on being neighborly.
“We try to enhance civility and encourage folks to be good neighbors,” Edwards said. “It’s been well worth the time and effort over the years.”
Franziska Wohlert gets visit from BGSU president and mayor.
As they rounded onto Troup Avenue, Rogers and Edwards arrived at a house rented by five university swimmers. One of them, Franziska Wohlert thanked Rogers for hiring a new swim teach coach.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Wohlert said of the visit by the dignitaries. “I think it’s really cool.”
A few houses down the block, the men started walking up the driveway when a shriek came from the backyard.
“I know you,” Sammy Hajdu said as the university president approached her and introduced the mayor.
“Oh wow, the mayor’s here,” Hajdu said, as one of her roommates videotaped the visit on her phone from inside the house.
“We are welcoming you to the neighborhood,” Rogers said, giving Hajdu a high-five. “Be great neighbors. Keep everything under control.”
Rogers had one more request for Hajdu, a senior communications and marketing major, who was wearing her boyfriend’s Heidelberg University shirt.
“You need to put a Bowling Green shirt on,” he said with a smile.
After her visitors left Hajdu said she was shocked to see Rogers and Edwards at her house – and was glad she and her roommates had tidied up the yard.
“We just got done picking up trash,” she said.
Rodney Rogers and Dick Edwards walk along Troup Avenue.
This year, the mayor and university president knocked on doors along East Wooster, Troup and South College streets. Both men left their suit jackets behind for the walk. Rogers passed out some Falcon orange sunglasses to student residents along the route.
One of their stops was at the home of Quentin Walker and Haley Richardson.
“It’s nice to see the people who run the place you live,” said Richardson, a third-year digital art student.
Back on East Wooster Street, two international students were surprised by their visitors. Having only been in the U.S. seven days, the students from India were pleased.
“We are new to the U.S. It is nice to have someone welcome us,” said Kowskik Kumar Bandameedipalli.
The visits are just one attempt to create neighborly renters. Earlier this week city officials made visits to three houses along East Wooster Street with signs in their front yards that set a poor first impression for new students and their families. The signs were removed.
This effort to avoid inappropriate messages began a few years ago after huge signs with statements like “Daddy drop your daughters off here. They’ll be in good hands,” were posted in yards on days when parents were dropping off students at BGSU.
Assistant Municipal Administrator Joe Fawcett tagged along on Friday’s visits to make note of yards that already had trash issues. He will make return visits to talk to the student renters about the need to keep garbage and recyclables picked up.
Stacey Hager welcomes Rogers and Edwards.
On Troup Avenue, the mayor and university president stopped at the home of Stacey Hager, a-year-round resident with children.
“I was born and raised here,” she said.
Most of the BGSU student neighbors are friendly and respectful, Hager said.
“During the middle of the school year it can get super rowdy,” she said. Then she added, “I was young once, too.”
This year’s Wooster walk was tamer than some previous years, when the mayor and then BGSU President Mary Ellen Mazey were offered beers at multiple houses, and were asked to drop their decorum and join some students on a slip-n-slide in the front yard.
Rogers and Edwards visit house on East Wooster.
The letters passed out to the student residents this year offered suggestions for successful living in Bowling Green neighborhoods:
- Make meaningful contact. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. A simple hello goes a long way to building relationships.
- Know neighbors on a personal level. Ask questions about their interests, professions, backgrounds and their family.
- Be considerate. Think about your neighbors’ schedules, which may be different from yours, and be considerate. Making too much noise, particularly late at night, is a nuisance and against the law. Large parties can also cause friction with your neighbors and violate city ordinances.
- Be respectful. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive community. Posting signs or banners that your classmates and members of the community could find offensive runs counter to our values as a community. It could also be a violation of your lease and city ordinances.
- Know your lease. Understand what your landlord is responsible for and what your obligations are for things like trash disposal, lawn care and snow removal.
- Know your city and neighborhood. Familiarize yourself with regulations on things like noise and litter ordinances, parking and snow removal. Much of this information can be found on the city of Bowling Green’s website.
- Stay connected. Sign up for the city’s eNews at bgohio.org and follow on Twitter @cityofbg.
