The University Heights appears to have turned a corner. An area once destined to follow Grant Street's fast track to urban blight is blossoming (albeit slowly) into another Elmwood Avenue. Though the area is in flux, increased real estate interest, resident involvement and removal of problem businesses point to a renaissance in the area.
Don't let the negative talk surrounding crime and the closings of Molly's Pub and P.J. Bottoms fool you: the Heights are on the rebound. Though the area hasn't had an overall assessment in a while, a recent commercial property adjacent to Molly's sold for $175,000 after being assessed for only $65,000. Though one sale isn't necessarily a trend, it points to rising property values that bode well for commercial and residential development.
Further changing the area for the better are the residence groups sprouting up interested in improving the district. The University Heights Collaboration is rapidly growing and its current membership comprises about 80 residents paying attention to their neighborhood. In addition, the city has a new housing inspector for the Heights focused on monitoring slumlords. UB also has appointed officials specifically for working with the community, something lacking in recent years.
The closings of bars catering to underage patrons might actually prove to be a catalyst for new investment. Underage drinking isn't conducive to booming districts; it contributes to a declining quality of living because of the crime associated with drunken juvenile behavior and the trouble that follows illegal activity.
Ideally, years from now we will see a thriving Heights district that becomes a destination for UB's population to enjoy.
When push comes to shove
Hamas must choose between peace or isolation
Democracy arrived in Palestine with a bang on Jan. 25 when downtrodden Palestinians elected a terrorist organization sworn to wipe Israel off the map. The election results reverberated worldwide, magnifying the unpredictable nature of a democratic Middle East in the process.
The United States and Israel are developing plans to cut off the elected Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority, hoping to foster a choice between renouncing violence and recognizing Israel's right to exist, or face the consequences of international isolation. The United States and Israel hope that if Hamas refuses their terms, the political, economic and diplomatic pain applied will cause their government to fall, leading to new elections with more desirable results.
Although such plans will undoubtedly heap bad press on two countries that need it the least in the Arab world, the United States and Israel are correct that Hamas needs to make a decision about its future course of action. They can decide to work for peace with Israel and get U.S. aid, or they can deny Israel's right to exist and hope for help from Iran and Syria, two other anti-Israel nations with less-than-stellar human rights records.
International relations demand a semblance of normalcy between neighboring countries. Simply denying Israel's right to exist doesn't help solve the major issues between them and will mean the end of the peace process. Hamas needs to renounce its past rhetoric in order to gain a seat at the world's table, or face the consequences.
Hamas can do great things for the Palestinian people, who were repeatedly victimized by Yassir Arafat's corrupted leadership and are desperate for help. The PLO, although ultimately inept, at least faced reality and eventually turned from its terrorist creed. Hamas can only aid its people when they care more about helping their own children than killing Israeli ones.
