Jules Vasquez reporting
It wasn't meet and greet Wednesday, but Southside Commander Marco Vidal was in the Mayflower neighborhood - talking amiably to Kendis Flowers - who was charged for the attempted murder of two police officers 7 weeks ago.

But today, it wasn't about the past, it was about the future:

Kendis Flowers, Area Resident
"Right now what we are trying to do is uplift the community, because it's been a while haven't gotten assistance through the areas and for the past we are trying to get this dirt out of this areas and nobody... finally a time come now that we are getting the chance to remove the dirt out of the area. We are thankful for the help from Mr. Willoughby, because nobody assisted us for all the years that we asked."

And that's where City Councillor and mayoral aspirant Phillip Willoughby comes in. He's overseeing the cleaning of a garbage heap that's been here for decades:

Jules Vasquez
"How long would you say that garbage pile is here accumulating?"

Kendis Flowers, Area Resident
"That garbage is there since I was a little boy. I am 25 years old and from I was a baby that garbage has been here."

Gloria Richards, "Mommy Blue" - Mayflower Resident
"I don't know how it get like that. We didn't have any outlet to throw away dirt. When we get dirt, we throw the dirt there to try and fill up the place and the more we put dirt the higher it got. It's over full."

Phillip Willoughby, City Councillor
"We had about 10 men from within the Mayflower area here to try and do it manually with forks, rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows. That did not work, out rightly it did not work. It wasn't as simple as we thought and so we went for backup. We say thanks to GENTRAC and Mr., Bevans for working along with us and we have procured this little Bobcat."

Jules Vasquez
"So a cynical interpretation would be that you are doing this for politics."

Phillip Willoughby, City Councillor
"Jules and I will say this loud: Pagins, Jamesy, I come ask any of you to vote for me or I tell any of you I am running for mayor? No [nodded]."

"Sir, my works speaks for itself."

Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Willoughby is fooling himself, because this is a PUP neighborhood. You all would never vote for him anyways."

Gloria Richards, "Mommy Blue" - Mayflower Resident
"He is not fooling himself. It doesn't matter blue, green or yellow. Its help we need. It doesn't matter. God didn't choose anyone."

And indeed, Willoughby is putting in work where many have promised but few have delivered. The alleys leading into Mayflower are neatly trimmed, and Willoughby has installed these garbage bins in front of every property:

Phillip Willoughby, City Councillor
"If you walk along Lakeview Street you will see drums along the corridor of the alleys."

Jules Vasquez
"Very neatly trimmed alleys."

Phillip Willoughby, City Councillor
"Sue is responsible to taking out the first 4 drums to the Lakeview side."

Missionaries from Georgia have been coming annually to put in a week's work in the neighborhood as well:

Bryan Nealey, First Baptist Church, Georgia
"We're down here just taking care of the basic necessities of doing like steps, repairing some stuff, to where any of these little children can be safe and have a lot more safety surrounding them and letting them know that we love them and Jesus loves them."

And while they're on a Christian mission, and Willoughby is on a political one, they challenged him to live up to his word:

Bryan Nealey, First Baptist Church, Georgia
"In our time coming down here, we never see anyone help this community. No one ever wants to help this community and that's what I challenge the councilor, that if he gets elected that he comes down here and takes care of this community."

Phillip Willoughby, City Councillor
"So it is all about improving the quality of life, not just by talking, but by action and through these action and what I've learn from the workshop I will now be focusing on working with these young kids from within the community."

And while this area needs a lot of work to be done, the problem is really a social one and that's what Flowers was talking to Vidal about:

Kendis Flowers, Area Resident
"Like what I was telling the man, Mr. Vidal what we would like to put in place - we don't have anything out here to do and these youths are out here running around and we don't want to get abused or anything, so we would want them to provide us with some work for the youths, because likewise these youths are here and doesn't have anything in their pockets. Many days these young men doesn't have anything to eat. Next thing, people look at it like they are getting money to go and buy guns. We don't want anyone looking at it like we are putting this for a front - this is what we want to deal with, jobs and thing. It doesn't work like that. We are being neglected out here."

Jules Vasquez
"Were you and him able to reach any understanding?"

Kendis Flowers, Area Resident
"The man say he (Vidal) understands what we are putting in place. He says he want us to keep our words and keep it up."

Vidal declined interviews.