Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association, Inc.

State of the Association - 2005

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Places We Where, Places to Go

The vision of Fox Canyon in the Year 2005

Bishop Williams, Distinguished Guest, Dear Friends, Board of Directors, fellow association members, citizens of Fox Canyon; once more, I stand here tonight to give you an account on the job that you have entrusted me to do, as the elected president of this neighborhood organization.

From our early days, The Fox Canyon Neighborhood Association has been destined to be one of a kind. Since our formative years, we have gathered the STRENGHT, LOYALTY, DEDICATION, DETERMINATION, and volunteer labor of our members, who relentlessly continue to work hard to improve our neighborhood, its quality-of-life and its peace-and-quiet.

Our business is to MARKET CHANGE! Change in attitude, behavior and physical surroundings. Just look anywhere in our neighborhood and you will see concrete proof of our handy-work. This is how we spend our time, challenging our community to improve, to change and work hard to achieve it.

But, we can not do all that we have done, this past year, without our member's activism, commitment and support. In addition, to the support lend by our friends and partners in the community-at-large, who continue to help us improve by investing money, time, energy and volunteer labor in our neighborhood.

We just can not do what we have done without the committed partnership of our Elected Officials and their willingness to be directly involved, in our growing up.

2004 was a year of fortune, an EVENTFUL and PRODUCTIVE year, in deed. Today, I am proud and happy to report our past activities and set the goals for future endeavors, following closely the path and guiding light set by our vision statement.

1. Last year we fended and managed to keep away TWO destructive gang take-offs. Today, we continue cleaning up some hot spots leftover. La Mara Salvatrucha tried their best flexing their muscle in a futile attempt to control lower Auburn. Today, our territory still intact, and our service area is relatively calm. Nine [9] “Nuisance Letters” were mailed out. Although, at the Court House steps, several times, none resulted in a law suite, and all the Landlords involved, backed-out and sold their nuisance properties. Most notorious cases were 5035 Auburn and 4776-80 Castle. Our crime rate is the second lowest in all Mid-City, due to our member’s activism. Not an easy task and a testament to the solid commitment of our Neighborhood Watch Block Captains in conjunction with our dedicated partner the Police Department. To the entire Mid-City CHAIN OF COMMAND, and on their behalf Captain KANASKI, we THANK YOU for your dedication and pro-active enforcement in Fox Canyon.

2. It has been said many times before, that SECOND to police work, Code Enforcement is key to a clean and revitalized neighborhood. Last year the association mailed-out 34 weeds letters, NONE of which were referred to NCCD, quite and improvement! In partnership with Councilmember Madaffer, we now have a dedicated Land Development Investigator managing the “Fox Canyon Pro-Active Effort”. The metamorphosis from dilapidated fences and un-permitted structures to new faces and fresh paint is taking place. From June 04 to April 05, Land Use Investigator George Andrade opened 144 cases and closed 138, with a fantastic 95.9% success rate! For your attendance to our meetings and for such EXCELLENT work, GEORGE, we thank you!

3. Our neighborhood has lost weight, and lost, not pounds, but tons of weight, in a single day! Last October 16th 44.21 tons of trash and debris was removed from our community by our partner the San Diego Environmental Services. Thanks to Stacy Workman.

4. In 2004, we helped removed seven [7] mini-dumps from and around our community. Councilmember ATKINS helped in this endeavor. At the end of Dwight Street, for a while, there was NO more arrundo, cement-chunk piles, and now there is a new barricade, at this location. In addition, Fox Canyon was the privileged recipient of TWO “Community Beautification Projects” a direct benefit from our Assemblywoman SHIRLEY HORTON. Please Fernando, convey our thanks.

5. This past March 19, residents and community partners came out to pick litter from Euclid Avenue. Aya, Chris and Susan, thank you a job well done!

6. In 2004, we just didn’t only pester the police, cleaned the neighborhood, or Enforced Code, we also walked, and clean our beloved Fox Canyon from University to Euclid Avenues and founded the “Friends of Fox Canyon Group”, with help and guidance from the Sierra Club and Eric Bowlby.

7. In total, we have logged 407 community Service hours. Including 3½ hours logged by eleven-year old Fernando Luvianos at the Last Euclid Avenue Litter Cleanup.

8. Tonight, I want us to specially honor Ms. ELYSE LOWE, Council Rep to Councilmember Jim Madaffer and Mr. FERNANDO REYES, Rep to Assemblywoman Shirley Horton. They both have been here year-around, rain or shine, logging a perfect attendance record to our meetings. For such deference, so dear to our hearts, we thank-you.

9. Constituent Service Representatives from many Elected Officials have attended meetings in assembly with us: Ms. Yelena Grossman, US Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Office, Mr. Todd Gloria, Congresswoman Susan Davis’ Office and now Mr. Jason Weisz, California Senator Christine Kehoe’s Office is and will be meeting with us, again.

10. To best decide our future, we need to partner with our elected officials, right from the start. We need to continue harvesting our collaborative effort with the Faith Community, other nonprofits and the public/private sectors. The Urban Corps San Diego, Alpha Project, Mr. Womack, City of San Diego Graffiti Program and Rebuilding Together are few of our partners that come to mind. First known as Christmas in April, now Rebuilding Together, the fact is that up to date, TWENTY [20] Fox Canyon homes have been rehab-ed since 2003, by this nonprofit organization. This month of April, in one more or so week, one more home will be rehab-ed benefiting our community. Pamela, we owe you much! How can we repay you?

Be advised, we are the ones that have to live next to drug houses, polluting businesses, trash, crime, blight and noise. Therefore, we have the greatest say in our affairs, here we solve our problems, we plan our future and roll our sleeves to begun the re-building of our neighborhood as we see fit, and in TOTAL CONFORMITY with our plans, with this gathering of the involved! We need to stop the densification of our single-family residential housing stock. Maximizing such properties does NOT create other than encroachment into our canyons and the loss of our precious open space. We need to build up not out, creating and respecting vista assets. Therefore, I serve notice; we will guide and oversee our future. So it will produce the best quality of life for our residents, the best PARKS for our recreation, the best neighborhood for our pride.

The places we were, and the past has been busy, very successful, full of excitement, and full of progress, as well. But our vision is greater and our goals target the future, as we are well on the road to become the “community of choice within City Heights”.

We have places to go. With your support and commitment, and to fulfill the quest of our MISSION Statement, I will solemnly ask the honorable Board of Directors to help me seek, pursue and strongly support the following goals in the year 2005.

1. Constituent Service, in the new Strong Mayor-Council form of government, is of serious concern to us, the constituents. Given the opportunity, we need to sit on committees to determine the best path to follow. One that will benefit, and give us an equal opportunity for success.

2. Dear Councilmembers, we invite you to work with us in braking the GLASS WALL that stops redevelopment in the communities to the east of Euclid. We want and need a renewed and redeveloped community. This year our primary goal is to STOP our projects from dying at the City Heights Area Planning Committee and everywhere else.

3. Fox Canyon is at the Crossroads of three Council Districts. Today, there is the reality that Fox Canyon is firmly embedded in Crossroads. The H.E.L.P Program will invest tax increment dollars in the rehab of our blighted housing stock. We have asked Crossroads help in building the Fox Canyon Parks System, and to help us buy the rest of the needed parcels to accomplish this goal! With the help of the Crossroads Welcoming Committee, we will host and tour Crossroads this approaching April 30th. You are all invited! In addition, I will ask the Board for the opportunity to tour Mr. Michael Trunzo, Chair of the Crossroads PAC and Mr. Tracy Reed, to explore possibilities for investment opportunities and redevelopment.

4. The reality of our long-range effort places our entire neighborhood under the blanket of TWO Redevelopment Project Area Committees. I will ask for the Board’s support to tour Ms. Karen Bucey, Chair of the City Heights PAC around Fox Canyon with the purpose to explore redevelopment possibilities along Euclid and University Avenues.

5. To best take advantage and build the best Fox Canyon Parks System, using every single resource available to us, with the consent of the Board, I will tour Mr. Luis Acle, President of the Board of Education, this coming May. We have made the connection, the day is set.

6. You heard the Councilmember talk about the near reality of our FOX CANYON PARK. Now you will hear me say: In unison, we all need to come together at once! And continue to labor until our Parks System is build. Volunteer to sit on committees, attend even more meetings. Be part of it, not an easy task, but amazing work. How many of you remember how long ago and how hard we’ve worked to come this close? Be faithful, our goal is within reach, soon!

7. In conjunction with the parks project we need to connect Ontario to Winona. This road will free the loop and Euclid Avenue of half its traffic congestion and it will provide an adequate secondary emergency service, and police patrol access to Bandar Salaam and lower Auburn Drive. This goal has been long in the making and set by our community in 1998, Seven years ago, so far.

8. Auburn Park is an integral, and the most important component of our parks system at University Avenue. It needs our hard, lonely and committed work. We all need to show up when called. Parochial politicking has it going south. Our strong support will have it going north, again! There is something basically wrong when a Committee, elected by us, to represent us and our will, freely dismisses two years and four months of hard work and the loud desires of its constituents. We know and testify that Auburn Park will be an asset to City Heights. We want it and need it. Our goal is to labor in support of our partner Affirmed Housing Group until the project is completed, until the glass wall comes down, and until we can all enjoy our pocket-park, a restored Creek and the affordable housing at this location. We are highly honored by your attendance tonight, Mr. Silverwood.

9. With the committed time and effort of our members the Euclid Avenue RAP Sub-committee needs to be staffed with those people most immediately affected by the changes placed on the plan, and with those residents living inside the Study Area, only! The Subcommittee needs fresh, new and open minds; new problem-solving ideas and younger muscles to do the work, implementing the Environmental Justice Grant without prejudice and monopolistic control. For our own sake, we need to clean and redevelop Euclid Avenue, our front door! My dear neighbors, step-up to the plate and let us play ball.

10. Once again, we most speak and defend those who can not do it themselves, our children and our pet populations! We will seek the help and support of those who are deeply concerned that our neighborhood's dog population is getting out of control, again; and are the speechless victims of human irresponsibility and abuse. Today, we enlist the help of Lieutenant Laura Ward of the Department of Animal Control to pay special attention to lower Auburn Drive and Castle Avenue. Welcome, we’re pleased to see you here again, Lt. Ward.

11. Signature drives are circulating. One benefiting CDBG and directed to our Congressional Delegation, and one more benefiting the ONE hour parking limit along Euclid Avenue. Please, volunteer to sign the petitions when presented to you by our volunteers.

12. We have submitted two separate CDBG applications to our Councilmembers benefiting Code Enforcement, on both sides of Euclid Avenue, and if such applications are granted, we will be looking forward to work with Ms. Marcia Samuels, the Director of NCCD and her department to put a new and clean face on Euclid Avenue, from El Cajon to Home. We feel honored for your attendance, Ms. Samuels!

13. With a great deal of anticipation, we await the granting of CDBG benefiting the NO PARKING street sweeping signs. We will work until this goal is achieve later this year.

14. With the support of Councilmember Madaffer, granting us CDBG for streets lights, we will see SIX new additional street lights installed to help us fight crime in our community. Along the way, we submitted a CDBG application to Councilmember TONI ATKINS to fund SIX additional street lights on the west of Euclid. When this goal is completed the Euclid Avenue experience is going to be completely different.

15. As good marriages do, at times, we also have spectacular and loud catfights with our partners. Our intent is to repair and improve upon a dysfunctional relationship. Our neighborhood institutions should be easy and open for any resident, from any area, to join in. For projects to be heard with an open and impartial mind, and not with collective concurrence. To best serve us, these organizations should be upper mobile, democratically solid and respectful. We will continue to pay special attention to the CHAPC, their applied procedures, their bylaws and remove any unfavorable behavior and bitter attitude toward our Elective Representative, and the constituents of Fox Canyon.

16. Due to rain, it was impossible to paint art as graffiti deterrent on the utility boxes and trash containers, this last March 19, as planed. The completion of this goal is move to this summer.

As members of this neighborhood organization, we all need to lend our hands in support and spend our energies volunteering to see success in our corporate programs and goals. We urgently need to arrest the spread of blight, slum conditions, garbage, and trash! With your volunteer labor, we can accomplish a spectacular renaissance, a brighter future for all.

From the path of the future, we go to the reality of our finances: In fiscal year 2004, the Association mailed out tax-exempt receipts totaling $16,451.00, in cash and in-kind Donations. The Bank of America was our biggest Cash contributor and Mr. John Van Cleve top the list, the other way. For the first time in seven years, a negative $15.00 showed in the balance sheet.

In general, the state of our Association is solid. We are hard workers and one of a kind, in every aspect. We passed our yearly physical with flying colors. We are well, fit and ready to run over the next milestone.

Above all, I want to honor our Board Members, tonight. They provide the legislative, if you will, and are the rock solid foundation upon which we build… I nearly execute their guidance. I am grateful for the dedication, time, and effort that this group of residents provides to our neighborhood organization, on behalf of their neighbors.

The CORE of our purpose and reality revolves around our volunteers. They have contributed Thousands of hours in labor to our community, this year, from our heart, we thank you!

Before closing, I want to recognize some of our members without whom we could not be here at all, those who support and founded our organization from the very beginning and are still going strong. Mrs. Catherine Burger at her 94 years continues to be active and very involved in our affairs; Ron Gonzales follows closely behind, remember Ronny, Monica Galindo’s Home? The Diaz family, Jesse Chavez, many other and all of you

Our deepest appreciation and gratitude goes to our partners in community revitalization for their efforts to invest energy and resources in Fox Canyon. Tonight, we honor: Affirmed Housing Group, Boston Capital, Mark Kassab of Murphy's Market, The Crawford Peer Helpers, The Mid-City Journal, The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Joni of the Asthma Coalition, Urban Corps, Viva Properties, Alpha Project, Rebuilding Together, CRASH, Teen Challenge, Price Charities, The Tucker Family, Catholic Charities, Christ Church Unity Youth Group (Youth of Unity), The City Heights CDC, and all the men and woman working for the City of San Diego and our San Diego Finest, the men and women of the Police Department.

In closing, I wand to express our sincere THANKS and deep gratitude to our hosts Bishop Clenel and First Lady Bernice Williams, Sr., of Bible-Way Apostolic Church, for their kindness in allowing us to meet here and use the Church's Cultural Hall as our house. We really could not do all what we do without their help.

Look around you, I guarantee you that NO where else in the City of San Diego, or in the world for that matter, is a reunion that can equal this one, here, tonight! We are honored and feel privileged by your attention and attendance. May God Bless Fox Canyon and you!

Please, enjoy the refreshments!
Donated by Boardmember Jose [Jesse] Chavez and Super Mercado Murphy’s, Mark Kassab, Owner.