NORTHSIDE ISLAMIC CENTER

The Journal Sentinel staff

Broken glass glinted in the winter-withered grass and twisted shards of rusted metal lodged in the crevices between the slender trunks of young trees in the vacant lot at N. 24th and W. Vine streets.

Not for long.

After two hours on a recent Saturday afternoon, the lot looked more like what Iman Ali Pasha wanted it to be a place to play.

"Children in this neighborhood need a safe, clean place to play," declared Pasha as he stuffed another bag of trash into one of the blue Dumpsters he had brought into the adjacent alleyway.

Pasha is spiritual leader of the Northside Islamic Center, at 513 W. Meinecke St. On March 1, the congregation of about 50 Muslims purchased the brown frame building at 2401 W. Vine St. Across the street, on the southeast corner of the intersection, was a gently sloping, grassy lot. It was dotted with more than a dozen clumps of small trees.

It was also blighted with junk scraps of metal, twists of old carpeting and clots of discarded fast food containers.

It looked like nobody cared about the lot or the neighbor Leg 1 ends here hood around it.

Pasha said he couldn't stand that. `Neighborhood Matters'

"This neighborhood matters and these people matter to us," he said. "That's why we're moving across the street."

Once congregation members finish remodeling the two-story building, there will be a kitchen and worship area on the first floor and sleeping rooms on the second floor.

"Part of our ministry is to visit the House of Correction every fourth Friday," he said. "We want a place for the men who have been released so they have somewhere to stay while they're finding work and getting back on their feet."

But even before work began on the building, cleanup started across the street.

Ald. E. Fay Anderson gave the go-ahead. Volunteer caretakers are appreciated on the city- owned property, she said.

"I hope that eventually we can find city funds to turn it into a `tot lot,' " she said. "In the meantime, I welcome anyone who will adopt a vacant lot."

Ali Wright, 37, wielded a short-handled rake to dig glass Leg 2 ends here and metal from the tangled remains of last year's grass.

Pasha's daughter, Aisha, 11, had brought along two friends Myquita Burrage, 10, and Latoya Daniel, 13 to help fill black plastic garbage bags with the junk.

"Be careful with that glass, now," Pasha cautioned.

Attracted by the activity, 7- year-old Cordell McClinton joined the cleanup.

"It'll be nice to have someplace clean to play," said Cordell, who lives nearby.

Pasha looked up from stuffing garbage into the Dumpster and gazed at an impromptu game of basketball going on down the block. He shook his head.

"Kids playing basketball in a filthy alley," he said. "That's no way for a neighborhood to live."

Pasha looked at Cordell and expanded on the theme.

"When I was a boy, I had to do my chores before I could play," he said. "We want to help the children learn that they can keep up their communities and still have time for play."

He stooped and picked up another piece of trash.

Copyright 1995
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