About two dozen boys and girls wait anxiously in a parking lot of Fairmont Terrace, shouting and pointing when they see the yellow bus pull into the sprawling apartment complex.
They eagerly file into the bus decorated with bright hand stickers and slide into seats for a field trip to the Tulsa Zoo. A few moms traveling with the group bark out orders to the fidgety children to stay in their seats.
Tracie Salerno, a volunteer for HANDS Changing Legacies Ministry, takes a head count of children on the bus. Her husband, Mike, loads boxes of food and drinks donated for the day. A teen girl passes out donuts with sprinkles and juice pouches to tiny, outstretched hands and the chatter grows quiet.
Jessica Harshbarger, sitting with two of her sons on the bus, said the zoo field trip Wednesday is one of many things people have done to help residents of Fairmont Terrace in recent months. City councilors Jeannie Cue and Arianna Moore joined the residents for the trip and helped gather food donations.
“It’s good that we have people like Mr. Mike involved doing things for the kids,” said Harshbarger, who moved to Fairmont Terrace from Gulfport, Miss., a year ago.
The 336-unit government subsidized apartment complex was the scene of a quadruple homicide in January. It is in an area plagued for years by high crime rates — especially violent crime — drugs and poverty.
However, police, community groups, businesses and some residents have worked together to reduce crime in and around Fairmont Terrace. Violent crime has decreased in the area where four women were shot to death Jan. 7, a Tulsa World analysis of crime data shows.
While the area near 61st Street and South Peoria Avenue remains one of the most crime ridden in the city, the numbers and even the lives of residents are showing signs of improvement, according to the World’s data analysis.
Harshbarger and others who live and work in the area say they’ve noticed a difference, though there’s still much room for improvement.
Crime
The plaintiff alleged in a lawsuit that he was made to perform pushups to avoid a ticket or jail.
The most recent assault occurred about 4 a.m. Sept. 7 in the area of the Morrison Apartments.
CONTACT THE REPORTER
918-581-8471
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