This has been an unusually dangerous year for the youth of the Gem City.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we tell you about the first-ever Hope Zone Youth for Peace Gathering which aimed to end gun violence, especially among young people. We also give you a sample from the many letters sent to us from readers in support of the Springfield community.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 4 minutes, 42 seconds to read.

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Dayton gun violence: A call to action after a deadly year for young people

A couple hundred kids, teens and adults marched down Broadway Street in West Dayton on Thursday afternoon and participated in a rally to condemn and call for an end to a wave of gun violence that has rocked the Dayton community this year.

• The march: Community members marched from Grace United Church in northwest Dayton down to Liberation Park.

• Police data: Juvenile homicides have quadrupled, and there has been a 56% increase in felonious assaults with juvenile victims. So far this year, there have been eight juvenile victims of murder and nonnegligent homicides in Dayton. About 75 juveniles have been victims of aggravated assault so far this year.

• City response: Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. promised that the city is going to invest a substantial amount of money in coming years to try to keep its youth safe. The city commission this week had the first reading of a revised appropriations ordinance that includes $296,000 to fund a youth violence disruption program.

• What they’re saying: “Simple things like going to school, walking to the McDonalds right down the street from my school or even attending some public events now come with a cloud of anxiety,” said A’Mariyana Bennett, 14, a sophomore at Thurgood Marshall High School. “Gun violence affects our mental health and sense of security — families are left broken, friends are left grieving.”

‘Dear Springfield…’ Read letters of support for Springfield from all over the country

Since Springfield was thrust into the national spotlight, we have received a large number of letters in support of our communities from people all over the country. From Amherst, Massachusetts to Sacramento, California, Americans have been eager to submit letters, photos and even poems to show that the residents of Springfield — new and old — are not alone.

Excerpts from a selection of submissions:

• What the Haitians are experiencing is what the region has always been: A place for hard-working people to come to and making a living while trying to blend in to the culture. The majority of people living in Springfield are OK with these new immigrants as long as they are there to become citizens.

To the Haitian community I say, there are those who want the world to see you as something other than the marvelous workers, parents, dream seekers and Americans that you really are. So I say to the Haitian community of Springfield and surrounding region… stay strong! Go about your business of working hard, learning the local culture and becoming the citizens you want to be. Don’t be bullied by threats and intimidation; let the haters know that you, too, are American.

— James F. Thrasher, Ed.D., Sacramento, California

• During my years as a student at the University of Dayton, I had an opportunity to interact with members of the Dayton community and beyond. I frequently commented to my family back in Erie, PA, that the spirit of the Ohioans I had encountered was warm and welcoming. Never did I feel that my status of having come to the area from elsewhere gave me diminished standing.

Because of these experiences, I was unsurprised, yet heartened, to learn of the many ways in which Springfield residents have welcomed Haitians to their community...The residents of Springfield, Haitians and non-Haitians alike, have provided us with a remarkable model for how we should be with one another. Let us embrace their example.

— Virginia Brabender, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

• I want to express my admiration and support for the people of Springfield, Ohio, who are standing strong against hatred and division. In the face of false accusations (and outright lies), the people of Springfield are showing a remarkable commitment to unity, love, and justice. Baseless claims against the Haitian community have caused fear and unrest, leading to bomb threats and closures of schools and public buildings. Despite these challenges, we’ve seen Springfielders bravely rallying around their Haitian neighbors, supporting the community with both word and action.

— Lawrence Pareles, Amherst, Massachusetts

• As many Americans, I have been following the national fallout from the Sept. 10 presidential debate where one candidate chose to make unfounded about Haitian immigrants residing in Springfield — I won’t even repeat what was said as it was too horrific. I hope and pray the good citizens of Springfield will take this event as an opportunity to bring people together and begin the healing process. I have read and listened to Nathan Clark’s heartfelt comments to the Springfield City commission regarding his son’s death in August, 2023. What a beautiful tribute to his son, Aiden. If he and his family are any indication of what the citizens of Springfield are all about, I have no doubt you will come out stronger and more united than ever. Stay safe.

— Phil Leech, Spring Lake Township, Michigan

What to know today

• One big takeaway: The new management of the former Crowne Plaza Dayton says the downtown property should reopen as the Dayton Vitality Hotel by the end of the year.

• Tip of the day: Forty tickets will be available for every performance of “Hamilton” for $10 each when the national tour performs Oct. 1-13 at the Schuster Center. Find out more here.

• Big move of the day: Wingstop is continuing to expand throughout the Dayton region with a third location expected to open in Huber Heights.

• Person to know today: Katie Smiddy. The 48-year-old Springdale finance director has been hired as Oakwood’s first female city manager.

• Happening today: The Preble County Pork Festival is returning to Eaton this weekend with bacon featured in its food lineup for the very first time.

• Thing to do: Taste of Dayton, which is similar to Taste of Cincinnati or Taste of Chicago, is 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at 444 N. Bend Blvd. in Dayton.

• Photo of the day: Internationally known artist and Obey Clothing founder Shepard Fairey was in Dayton this week as part of a statewide initiative to inspire voter engagement ahead of the November general election. Photographer Marshall Gorby found him outside the Dayton Metro Library Downtown on Wednesday. Check out the story here.