New Haven Independent

The occasion was a first-ever block party Saturday to raise money for two enterprising teen-agers’ response to last summer’s violence. They’ve raised money and designed a program for a summer-long camp on the block to keep kids busy and out of trouble.

In business, as well as a great many aspects of life, when you promise something, you had better deliver. Teenage entrepreneurs Javaughn “J.J.” Harris (a Metropolitan Business Academy junior) and his friend Caprice Taylor (who attends New Haven Academy) promised earlier this year to stage the kick-off event June 23 to launch their summer camp.

And, sure enough, they have delivered, to the day: on a sunny Saturday, June 23, as promised, they staged the first annual Thompson Street block party fund-raiser for the Thompson Street Youth Coalition, the formal name of their camp. By 2 o’clock it was moving into full swing.

With tickets going for 25 cents each, and three tickets, or 75 cents required for admission to the Moon Bounce — the inflated castle where kids can jump and fall safely all over each other and then grab at the netted windows to right themselves — there was already a lot of fun-raising and fund-raising action.

The party, the permit for which J.J. had arranged with the police department, was slated to continue into the long, sun-lit June evening.

While the chief organizers, Harris and Taylor, were off securing some amplification equipment, the yellow-T-shirted staff, otherwise known as J.J.’s relatives, were holding down the fort, or rather the Moon Bounce Castle. Surrounded by his cousins, Nazhia Bennett and Alexis, who was visiting for the summer from North Carolina, J.J.’s younger brother James worried that in their enthusiasm, some kids had entered the much desired Moon Bounce without paying. Some even had the nerve stay beyond the five allotted minutes.

But the atmosphere — a party where everyone seemed to know each other and moms were seen ferrying platters of fried chicken while cousins set up an oven to cook pizzas — was tolerant of small infractions.

A reporter waited for J. J. to return to see how he had fared at raising the $5,000 his business plan required to launch the camp. J.J.’s mom, Lana Harris, who was functioning as his fiduciary — that is, both selling tickets and being the legally responsible adult since J.J. is only 16 — took a break to say how proud she is of her son. “He sent letters to everyone on the block to let them know. He arranged with the police to have the block closed there at Newhall Street and at Shelton. Yes, he does it all. He’s already planning which college to go to next year, in Boston.” She went on to say J.J. was perhaps a little disappointed that the response from those who live on the block, many homeowners, was not as great as he wanted as measured by attendance at a recent planning meeting.

However, by the steady trickle of kids arriving, on bikes, or skipping along barefoot, asking how much tickets cost, and then extending their dollars, the first annual block party was developing nicely. Keyaira Walker, the young woman transacting with Lana Harris, is a 13-year-old who goes to Elm City Prep. Saturday was her birthday. “I’m having a little party of my own later, but coming to the block party with my friends is also my way of celebrating.”

These two young friends were having a good time too, going to the Moon Bounce, then getting some popcorn. Marcus McDowell, age 7, lives on Thompson Street. When J.J. visited his house and told him about the party, he invited his friend Xavier Matthews, age 12 (both boys go to the Dwight School) to join him at the block party.

When a reporter mentioned to Xavier that it was a little unusual, was it not, to have a friend so much younger, Xavier said, “No it’s not. I’ve got friends who are 18, too.”

While mom Lana Harris went off to supervise the preparing of a bucket of water balloons (they cost two tickets, or 50 cents), J.J.’s big sister Corniffia spelled her at the ticket table, where quite a few wrinkled kid dollars continued to be crossing the table. “I’m awfully proud of my little brother,” she said. She works in the medical field but is taking as much time as she can to help J.J. and Caprice — her niece — with the party, and with the preparation of the applications for the camp. “You know on this block there’s three generations of my family. Everybody knows everybody and we’re all pitching in.”

So where were the young man and young woman entrepreneur of the hour? Ah, they arrived shortly after in a pick-up truck (driven by a helping adult). Caprice raced inside one of the houses, presumably to rescue some aspect of the organizing — or, it was overheard, perhaps just to change clothes.

In the meantime, J.J., on the left, was unloading, with the help of his older brother Benjamin, one of the two large speakers that soon would make the block party rock.

While J.J. was making the electrical connections, he reported that of the $5,000 projected, $3,000 was in hand. “Half that amount,” he said, “is coming from Youth At Work, which is paying my salary and Caprice’s. The other half is from individual donations. We still need about $2,000.”

The fiscal aspects of the camps are being carried out under the umbrella of Solar Youth, the environmental and youth development organization that J.J. has been associated with since he was a little kid, like the many running around the block party. Joanne Sciulli, Solar Youth’s executive director, and other of J.J. and Caprice’s admirers were due to the party a little later in the day.

J.J. said the camp would have about 15 kids, at least to start. It is to be completely free of charge to the campers, except the cost for the official camp T-shirt and a special end of season trip. The headquarters of the camp is going to be near the police substation over on Winchester Avenue, said younger brother James. Camp starts July 6 and runs Tuesday through Friday, 9 to 3, until Aug. 9.

To help J. J. and Caprice reach their goal and to give kids healthful and focused activities during the long summer days, the contact information is (should readers want to send checks) Thompson Street Youth Coalition, 73-75 Thompson St., New Haven , CT 06511. Phone: 773-0200. Or, via this website.