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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8211; On a recent Saturday members of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association gathered at CrisNic&#8217;s Irish Pub on Barney Street to discuss upcoming events.</p><p>To George Brown, president of the association, the restaurant, the topic and those attending was a microcosm of what the group does and is.</p><p>&#8220;This business opened in 2012 right here in South Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They have great food at good prices. People from all over love gathering here.&#8221;</p><p>Brown has both his roots and his heart in South Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>&#8220;When I was building my home here, people asked me why,&#8221; he said. &#8220;South Wilkes-Barre is a good place.&#8221;</p><p>Members of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents&#8217; Association want to make that area of Wilkes-Barre even better, offering everything from an annual Easter egg hunt to summer movie nights to identification of blighted properties.</p><p>Association member Melissa Patla, who also serves on the Wilkes-Barre Area School District board of directors, said memories of growing up in Wilkes-Barre fuel her hope for the city&#8217;s future.</p><p>Patla stressed the importance of families coming together within the community, with everyone being a good neighbor and being willing to help others.</p><p>A great example of that, she said, was the organization&#8217;s movie night at the Gordon Avenue Soccer Complex, which brings residents of all ages out for fellowship and entertainment.</p><p>Bill and Pam Challenger, members of the Firwood United Methodist Church and residents of South Wilkes-Barre, said the church is more than happy to assist in helping Wilkes-Barre residents.</p><p>&#8220;Nobody checks IDs to see if your from South Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; said Bill Challenger. &#8220;Everyone is welcome.&#8221;</p><p>Brown said the association partners with other organization within the community to provide opportunity for area residents.</p><p>&#8220;For example, during our annual Easter egg hunt for both typical kids and special needs residents, we reached out to a host of organization and businesses and they were glad to help,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The annual Easter egg hunt is something of which Brown is especially proud.</p><p>&#8220;We brightened the lives of over 350 children that day,&#8221; said Brown. &#8220;And everyone got about five items that included candy and other treats.&#8221;</p><p>The group sponsors speakers at its monthly meetings which range from political officials to hospital representatives to government officials to police officers.</p><p>&#8220;We respond to what people want,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We ask them who they want to hear speak, and we bring them in.&#8221;</p><p>And although some of the speakers are political, the group is not political.</p><p>&#8220;I tell speakers that they are invited as representatives, not as candidates,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Most recently the group had representatives from Luzerne County 911 speak at a meeting.</p><p>&#8220;People told us that it was a difficult system to understand,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So we wanted to help them understand it.&#8221;</p><p>The organization has no official membership, with attendance at meetings and participation at events varying widely.</p><p>&#8220;Some may not be so interested in community cleanup, but very interested in helping at the Easter egg hunt&#8221; said Brown. &#8220;But that&#8217;s fine.&#8221;</p><p>Brown said the association works closely with Wilkes University during periodic cleanups of south Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Members of the Meyers High School football team also offer their muscle for cleanups.</p><p>The annual egg hunt sees the NAACP youth council join combine efforts with the association.</p><p>&#8220;We had a bit of extra time they day of the Easter Egg hunt, so we had a dance party for the young people,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It was a lot of fun.&#8221;</p><p>In addition to pragmatic efforts which clean up the city, move toward ridding the city of blighted properties, restoring historic property and providing positive family events, the organization hopes to build a vision for the city.</p><p>&#8220;We want to change any negative stigma and bring back vibrancy,&#8221; said Brown. &#8220;People want to be part of it.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">People shop at the community yard sale in South Wilkes-Barre hosted by the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Assocation.  Proceeds benefit the Skyhawks Soccer League. 6/2/18. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL060818yardsale2.jpg</photo0><caption0>People shop at the community yard sale in South Wilkes-Barre hosted by the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Assocation.  Proceeds benefit the Skyhawks Soccer League. 6/2/18. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071718Cleanup3CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The South Wilkes-Barre Residence association and 30 incoming Wilkes University freshman cleaned litter from several South Wilkes-Barre streets Monday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071718Cleanup3CMYK.jpg</photo1><caption1>The South Wilkes-Barre Residence association and 30 incoming Wilkes University freshman cleaned litter from several South Wilkes-Barre streets Monday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071318SWBResidents1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">George Brown, of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, holds up a poster for movie nights at the Gordon Avenue soccer complex recently. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071318SWBResidents1.jpg</photo2><caption2>George Brown, of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, holds up a poster for movie nights at the Gordon Avenue soccer complex recently. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071318SWBResidents2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">George Brown, of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, talks about the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association at CrisNics in Wilkes-Barre recenlty. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_TTL071318SWBResidents2-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>George Brown, of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association, talks about the South Wilkes-Barre Residents Association at CrisNics in Wilkes-Barre recenlty. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>For 18702</p></bylineMeta></div>

South Wilkes-Barre Residents AssociationGroup working to make city a better place