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Dear Friend: As the elected Councilmember
for District 7, I made a commitment to the residents of District 7
to improve their quality of life, to look out for their best
interests and to give my utmost to serve in the best possible way
that I can. My guiding principle is to get things done for my
communities. Working closely with community leaders, we’ve been
extremely successful in checking off things from that “to-do”
list. My commitment has been and continues to be to do all I can
to improve our neighborhoods and the infrastructure within our
communities.
In this eNewsletter I want to focus on the numerous community
clean ups I’ve held that have significantly improved the
appearance, safety and sense of community in our neighborhoods.
It’s all about bringing people together for a common cause. Let me
tell you about some of the more recent clean up projects.
Fox Canyon Clean Up -
One of the larger clean ups I sponsored was the Fox Canyon
Brush Clean Up in the District 7 portion of City Heights.
Volunteers, members of the Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association and
the Urban Corps gathered at the staging area right off lower
Auburn Drive on Ontario Avenue (not too far from University and
Euclid) and then tackled Fox Canyon, Chollas Creek and Auburn
Canyon.
It was a huge turnout for the May 13th event. Knowing that we
are in fire season and that vegetation is a fuel for fires, Urban
Corps helped trim brush around homes in order to promote a safer
environment. They worked for a total of five days spending 640
labor hours cleaning the canyon. They cleared an invasive and
resistant plant called arrundo donax, removed weeds, many tons of
trash and removed graffiti from private and public property.
In addition to the Urban Corps who did a fantastic job, many
people deserve thanks for helping with this event. There are two I
especially want to recognize for donating refreshments to this and
countless other community events: Mark Kassab of Super Mercardo
Murphy’s and Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association member Doris
Pierson, also known as the “Cookie Lady.”
51st Street Canyon Clean Up –
Over several days in May and June the Alpha Project helped us
clean the 51st Street Canyon area. Homeless people had set up
encampments in this area. Our goal was to remove illegal dumps and
camps that have accumulated in the canyons and the creek. Alpha
Project worked diligently removing the encampments, cleaning up
the creek (which is an arduous process due to environmental
concerns), and removing the dreaded arrundo donax plant which is a
large bamboo-like plant that chokes other plants and takes over
creeks, rivers, and streams. They also removed other non-native
plants growing in the area.
Alpha Project is a wonderful organization with
whom I’ve worked and supported for years. If you aren’t familiar
with them, please click here
http://www.alphaproject.org
to view their web site.
Euclid Avenue Clean Up –
June 10th was a busy day for me and my staff.
First, I sponsored the Euclid Avenue Litter Clean Up in City
Heights. Roughly one third of City Heights falls within District 7
and I must commend these community leaders for their active
involvement and partnership pertaining to all things in their
neighborhoods. The Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association played a
significant role in the success of this clean up. Urban Corps
assisted by picking up litter and removing weeds and debris on the
long stretch of Euclid Avenue between Home Avenue and El Cajon
Boulevard.
In the last eNews I told you about the FaceLift cleanup project
that also took place on June 10th. Partnering with the non-profit
Community Housing Works, we did major improvements on 13 homes and
removed trash and weeds for an immediate impact in beautifying the
Colina del Sol neighborhood. As I said, it was a busy day.
Islenair Neighborhood Clean Up –
Scores of volunteers joined us in this neighborhood clean up on
June 24th. We had a win-win situation with the Alliance for
African Assistance collecting reusable items to be recycled in
their thrift store. It really was a case of the community giving
back to the community. Our longtime partner, Alpha Project,
provided some of the heavy manpower to collect trash and debris
from each one of the homes in the Islenair neighborhood. Thanks
to Patty Vacariello for being our partner on this community event.
College Avenue Baptist
Church –
You gotta love the name of this event. It was called the
Extreme MakeOver and this event lived up to its name. On June
3rd, the College Avenue Baptist Church coordinated a major effort
to clean up homes all over District 7. More than 400 volunteers
turned out in force and the results prove it. A total of 44
properties were revamped including The Language Academy on
Montezuma Road in the College Area and Euclid Elementary School in
City Heights. Some of the homes were located on 44th Street, Gain
Drive, College Avenue, Stanley Avenue, Park Ridge, Burgundy Street
and Rincon Street. There were 11 trash dumpsters filled with 55
tons of trash and yard clippings. Afterwards more than 250 of the
volunteers returned to the church for a celebration of live music
and a barbeque chicken and steak dinner. I want to thank event
organizer Bob Thomas for making this event such an outstanding
success and Allied Waste for donating dumpsters and free trash
service for this event.
Del Cerro Clean Up –
It wasn’t exactly a neighborhood clean up but it definitely was
a plea for assistance from one neighbor. Due to health concerns
and other issues, one homeowner needed lots of help with her
property. She lives by herself, didn’t have the ability to get the
job done and had no where else to turn. I joined the Alpha
Project crew in coming to her rescue. In a short time we trimmed
trees, weeded the backyard, removed lots of debris and helped with
some structural improvements both inside and outside. As you can
see by the photo, we left the site with a happy neighbor grateful
for the assistance.
Eyesore Be Gone
“Tear it down! Tear it down!” the crowd chanted as the
contractor’s huge excavating equipment tore into the building. And
indeed an abandoned commercial building, which had been an eyesore
for years, came down.
On the morning of July 24th, a group of community leaders,
residents and others joined me to celebrate the demolition of the
Sunrise Auto Repair building located at 5599 University Avenue
near the intersection of Chollas Parkway. An old “Quonset Hut”
behind the building was also torn down. The demolition of two
commercial buildings in the Chollas Triangle area is part of my
ongoing commitment to the community.
You can view a video of the building being torn down by
clicking on this link:
http://jimmadaffer.com/cd7/eNewsletters/2006-07-30/videos/Trash2.html
This project is a culmination of a successful partnership where
so many came together and persevered to see this through including
community leaders and residents, the Darnall Community Council,
Crossroads Redevelopment PAC, Neighborhood Code Compliance
Department, Alpha Project, Casper Construction Company, and of
course Mr. Jung Tom, the property owner.
As you can see from the photos, it was a real community
celebration. Members of the Darnall Community Council participated
including President Anna Orzel-Arnita, Barbara Belcher, and Jim
Lambert, Danielle Layman of the Eastern Area Planning Committee,
Bob McElroy, president and CEO of the Alpha Project, Norma Medina
of Neighborhood Code Compliance, Greg Casper of Casper
Construction Company, and Pat Calloway of Price Charities and many
members of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Patrol (RSVP).
More photos of the event can be seen by clicking this link:
http://jimmadaffer.com/cd7/eNewsletters/2006-07-30/photos/TrashPix1.html
Unfortunately this area has been a magnet for illegal dumping,
illegally parked vehicles, trash, debris and graffiti. We’re
cleaning up the area and ridding Chollas Triangle of these kinds
of problems. That’s my immediate goal.
My long-term goal is a partnership with the community to re-design
the area, completely improve it as part of the Crossroads
Redevelopment area, providing all the amenities this area needs
and deserves. Our goal is to redevelop the entire 36 acres of
Chollas Triangle – the area between Chollas Parkway, University
Avenue and 54th Street.
In January I sponsored a Chollas Parkway clean up. In just one
morning, we really transformed this stretch of Chollas Parkway.
This is a major and visible example of our commitment to improving
the area.
We will see some incredible projects proposed for Chollas Triangle
when the Redevelopment Agency issues request for proposals (RFP)
later this year. Already we’ve learned that the hospital and some
property owners on the north side of University Avenue want to
make some major changes to their property as well. And we are
working on a plan to make Chollas Creek a more user friendly area
for pedestrians and bicycles.
There is so much that can and will be done to transform that area
and provide residents with the amenities that they deserve. To sum
it up in just a few words- we’re improving the quality of life for
folks in this area.
Another event coming
soon
On August 12th we will hold another clean up in City Heights.
This time it will be in the Colina del Sol neighborhood. The
City’s Environmental Services Department will provide a large
vehicle traveling house to house for residents to discard items.
For more information or to volunteer to deliver fliers in the
community the first week in August, contact Waste Code Officer
Sylvia Sowaski of the Environmental Services Department at (858)
573-1202.
Happenings in the District
From time to time I include updates about community events
taking place throughout the District.
August 1 – The third annual National Night Out
at the Movies will be held at 8:30 p.m. at the Allied Gardens
Community Park located at located at 5155 Greenbrier Avenue.
This is a free family event and the movie Chicken Little will
begin sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Don’t forget to
bring a blanket, low back chairs and a picnic basket. Sodas will
be provided. For more information call 619-583-6050 or click here
http://www.navajoevents.com.
Thanks for reading the eNewsletter.
Regards,
Jim
Neighborhood E-Watch Keeps You Informed
The City of San Diego's Neighborhood eWatch provides
information about crime incidents in the City of San Diego to the
public for free via the Internet and is updated every 24 hours. I
introduced this popular service last year and encourage you to use
it. The web site address is:
http://ewatch.sandiego.gov.
Thanks
for reading the eNewsletter
In the meantime, please don't hesitate to send
me your thoughts
on issues by sending email to
jmadaffer@sandiego.gov
and please forward this email to your friends who might enjoy
reading it. They can always visit
JimMadaffer.com/email to sign up themselves.
I welcome hearing from you at any time and rely
on your opinion. It is an honor to serve you on the San Diego City
Council.
Regards,
Jim
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