'Mayor of Tinbridge Hill' continues working for his community

Aubrey “Chub” Barbour is something of a celebrity in Tinbridge Hill. The 71-year-old is a lifelong resident of the inner-city neighborhood and a longtime community activist.

He’s often referred to as the Mayor of Tinbridge Hill. His work over the decades has ranged from leading the Tinbridge Hill Neighborhood Council to organizing a series of anti-drug marches credited with dramatically improving safety in the area.

Barbour also has overseen countless youth programs as a 41-year employee of Parks & Recreation and still works as a recreation leader at the Yoder Center, a tiny community center in Tinbridge Hill.

The undersized Yoder Center is currently undergoing an expansion that will bring it a new arts and crafts room, computer lab and office space. At the urging of a long list of community organizations, City Council voted earlier this month to name the addition the “Aubrey Barbour Education Center.” A small park on the Yoder Center grounds also will be named for him.

Jane White, director emeritus with Old City Cemetery and the chief organizer of the naming campaign, said Barbour was an obvious choice for the honor.

“He has just made an amazing difference in his community,” White said. “He’s the kind of citizen we all wish we could be. He loves this neighborhood and he’s always working for the people here.”

Barbour, who was unaware of the lobbying taking place on his behalf until after the council vote, said he was surprised and touched by the recognition. Here, he takes a moment to reflect on topics ranging how to fight the war on drugs to whether he will ever consider retiring.

You’re better known among community members as “Chub.” How did you end up with that nickname?

I guess it’s because when I was coming up as a child I was sort of chubby. People started calling me Chub and it stuck.

How did you become so involved with community service?

Well, after high school I started volunteering by coaching little league baseball and football. I guess that was a real passion of mine. I wanted to do what I could to motivate these kids to be successful in their lives. Too many of them that we see have no one at home that cares about them.

I also wanted to do something to help the elderly in the neighborhood. Over the years, when I was child, they had cared for me. I would be less than a man now if I didn’t take care of them.

Back in the 1990s, you led a series of anti-drug marches through Tinbridge Hill to combat rising drug activity and violence in the neighborhood. How did that get started?

People used to take a lot of ownership in this neighborhood. We were like a family. But the years went by and a lot of people began dying out. More homes were being rented out by …, what you call slumlords. Then drugs started coming in. There were even a couple of murders.

We had to take the initiative and get out and deal with this. I came up during the civil rights movement with Dr. King’s marches. So we started walking through the neighborhood. If we found out drug dealers were established in one area, that was the area we marched in. They saw we weren’t joking. That’s why we were successful.

What are conditions in the neighborhood like today?

We still have a few drugs in the neighborhood, but it’s not like it was years ago. Now, we stay on top of what’s happening. And we’ve been pretty successful. The thing with drugs is, if you ever get relaxed about it, then the problem will come back. So you’ve always got to stay involved and get other people involved, too.

At age 71, you’re still active within the community and still employed by Parks & Recreation. Any plans to retire?

I thought about retiring some time back, but I wanted to see this center addition become a reality. The Lord told me to stay on a little longer. Now, I may decide to go anytime, I guess. But I’ll still keep doing what I do now and work with youth and seniors. Be helpful in what way I can.

My father was a minister and he taught us that the word of God says if you are a blessing to others than surely the Lord will be a blessing to you. That’s how I try to live my life.