Who we are
We are an independent volunteering organization which serves as a public / private partnership. We work with the City, businesses, other organizations and each other to connect, address problems and to have some fun. We aren’t going to motivate you and get you jazzed up. That is your part. Our part is to create the connections for the things that you find interesting so you can tap into that drive that creates energy to do the things you need to do in your daily life.
From Our President 
Gigi Reider
As I write my first webpage as the president of a neighborhood group who has a vision of making the Whittier area a place where people want to live, shop, eat, and raise a family, I only hope the residents in the Whittier area feel the same.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 19 years and love it. I have volunteered my time and talent for the past three years to better the neighborhood and I challenge you to do the same. We will be doing periodical mailings and webpage updates to let you know when, where we’ll have meetings and what topics will be discussed.
This Organization is nothing without you. We can start by giving a smile and saying “Hello” to your neighbors. If they are elderly, ask yourself how I can help my neighbor. Shovel the sidewalk for the elderly, show you care. Let’s set an example of how a neighborhood can pull together and have fun too!
How it all started
The Whittier neighborhood is geographically located north of 10th Street, east of the Burlington Northern railroad lines, south of the Burlington Northern railroad lines, and west of Conklin Avenue.
Schools have played an important aspect in the development of this neighborhood. Whittier Middle School underwent a $3 million capital improvement project expansion prior to the 2002–2003 school year.
Franklin Elementary School and Bancroft Elementary School were closed at the end of the 1997–98 school years. In the fall of 1998, students from the two schools were assigned to the new Terry Redlin Elementary School that was built on the old Bancroft School site. The Franklin School building was converted into an alternative high school and opened as Joe Foss School in the fall of 1998.
The South Dakota School for the Deaf has also been a principal public facility in the neighborhood. There are some concentrations of subsidized apartment buildings in the east area.
Housing conditions range from good to excellent with the south area east of Cliff Avenue in strongest shape. A concentration of commercial uses along Eighth Street from downtown to Cliff Avenue creates a barrier; most residences lie north of Eighth Street. The west side of Weber Avenue between Sixth Street and Falls Park Drive is a transitional area, which will likely see redevelopment activity.
Continued