Marlborough Mesa

NOVEMBER NEWS 2001

Dec 03, 2001

CURB NUMBERING CONTINUES?…

Summer is over and our curb numbering has now really begun. Please notice that the ?“curb fairies?” have done their magic on several streets: (partially finished) Pecos, Mollera, Wycliff, Pampa & Spruce. Portobello is the ONLY one entirely complete! 7 of the 10 people who helped Sat., 27th actually LIVED on that street. The children were GREAT help. Give ?‘em a can of spray paint and just you watch how good they are! We need MORE committed neighbors in completing this project if we finish before the holidays. We now have a SCHEDULE for every SATURDAY until we finish. It is:

9 am-12 noon 1 pm ?– 4 pm

We need YOU ?… we need your children.

For scheduling ONLY: contact Alma Jones, 831-1525 or 602-321-1139 or email at jnajones@cybertrails.com.

For donations: contact Renee Ross Cefalu. She is still coordinating this and will also schedule, but is now working and going to school. You can reach her at 839-8069 or 3064 S. Spruce. She will pick up your donation or you may drop it by her home. You may choose to give cash or a check for this donation. If you choose to pay by check, please make it out to our Marlborough Mesa Treasurer, Lolita Gates.

This is one of those ?… ?“We need your money OR your time?” type of projects. We received $300 in a grant, but given that there are 3 colors x 469 homes, stencils, templates, etc., etc, that amount simply won?’t cover expenses. Mark and Renee have put a lot of their time and money into this ?– so give her a call if you can donate ANY amount. Any remaining funds not used by this project will be placed in our Neighborhood Fund to be used by future events.


DIRECTORY OF SERVICES

This directory is being delivered along with the newsletter. If you should fail to receive one, please give a call or email to Rhonda Merkel at: 491-2549 or HLRKMerk@aol.com. Rhonda has included everyone who has made contact with her that wishes to be in this directory. She will print updates from time to time as new businesses are added. If your name does not appear, give her a call or email.

To put this directory together takes a ?“little?” time, so now that Rhonda has graciously done this ?– let?’s support these people. If you need a service ?– look to the directory. If you are thinking of Christmas gifts ?– look on the list ?– there are several people in here who can put together a very special gift.


SANTA NEEDS ASSISTANCE
by Michelle Kolar (Peralta)

Your help is needed for the 2nd Annual Marlborough Mesa Toy Drive with Santa in the Park (December 15th). We understand that it gets hectic for everyone around the holidays, but some of the things we need may ?“fit?” into your schedule. Are you a baker? Can you whip up an extra dozen cookies while you?’re making batches for other events? Not a baker? Maybe you will be running to the supermarket to do some shopping. Can you grab an extra package of napkins? Below is a list of items that would truly be most helpful if you could contribute. If you can even help out a little, it moves us one step forward to making this a successful event. Please let me know if you are able to help. Email michkolar@hotmail.com or call 752.2044.

Napkins
Paper Cups
Table Clothes

Sugar and Creamer
Candy Canes
Cookies
Brownies
& Other Goodies

Coffee Urns
Coolers
Tables

Decorations
Garland


NEW WEBSITE AND AWARD

Adrian and Charlene Reaux (Pecos) have lived in Marlborough only 1?½ year now ?– but they are no strangers to many of us.

Over the years, our homes have been remodeled, added onto, painted and repainted until a few do not even resemble the original model. Adrian built a website to accommodate all of the original plans & elevations. Ever wondered which model you own? Take a look at the Marlborough Mesa Home Models page on our website at: www.neighborhoodlink.com/mesa/marlborough

Charlene nominated our neighborhood in the first Spirit of Mesa Awards, which we went on to win in the Neighborhood Excellence category. With winning came a $300 check to be spent however we, as a neighborhood, choose to spend it. They even gave us a camera to take pictures of the event! Please, email me with ideas.

Adrian and Charlene are now looking into starting a Blockwatch in their 1100 block.


2ND SAFETY WALK ON PORTOBELLO AND PECOS

Beginning at 6:30 pm on November 6th, residents are being asked to go on a ?“night walk?” with neighbors, meeting at the corner of Portobello and Extension.

This is like the one 3 other streets had last month. We receive tips from a Police representative and Debbie Driscol of the Neighborhood Office about how to guard against burglaries, have appropriate home and yard lighting and how to improve safety with landscaping as we walk down OUR street together. They will teach us how to look at our property differently than we have before.

This may come in extremely handy with Christmas presents around quite soon. If you missed the first walk, come join us even for a ?“short block?”.

Nancy Borg has set this up with the City and you may reach her at AZCAT21877@aol.com if you have further questions.


FROM OUR SAFETY TEAM

Other streets have begun to get involved in the new and upcoming Safety Walks on the various streets. Sandy Fisher is now thinking of doing one on Peralta.

If you would like to set up one for your street, give a call or email to cecilduarte@cecil.com or 345-8283.

Cecil would like more to volunteer on each street in Marlborough Mesa so we can have the entire neighborhood done by the middle of February 2002.


OUR NEWEST AMBASSADORS

We are so fortunate to have our younger couples participating and taking the lead as they are doing. Laurel and Zubair Aslamy on Plata are newly married. They have filled a much-needed area on Plata in the 1000-1100 block by becoming the Ambassadors for that area, whereby greeting our newcomers there.

They are both attorneys, which is how they met and they have lived here for eight months and this is their first home.

After the first Safety Walk we had in Marlborough on Obispo, Wycliff and Plata, Laurel and Zubair are now interested in beginning a Blockwatch.


SOMETHING NEW ON THE HORIZON

In October of 1999, I started the website with our newsletters online. No one really knew much about it until we began to get the boys of the neighborhood involved in passing out the first flyers announcing it.

Then we actually began printing the newsletter and our residents so faithfully have passed it out for 2 years now.

It will soon be 2002 and really time to take our newsletter back to its origination ?– completely online.

I will continue to send out an email (to those I have) as I do now once the newsletter has been written ?– usually the beginning of the month.

My plans are for the December 2001 ( made a mistake in the printed newsletter) issue to be the last one printed and passed out. If anyone would like this job (the printing part), we could continue to pass them out ?– otherwise it will be entirely online.

One other possibility is that I could print out a copy from what is online (different format) for someone to take to the Neighborhood Office and have them printed for a few residents that want them.

I realize that some of our residents do not have the internet or computer, perhaps you could be the ones to volunteer for this job if you want to see it continue.

We have choices. Let me know what you prefer.
Alma at 831-1525, 602-231-1139, or jnajones@cybertrails.com


WHY ALL THIS "SAFETY" STUFF?

In August, the crime stats were relatively low ?– perhaps it was just too HOT for the criminals too! Reported were:

1 Criminal Damage (vandalism)
2 Burglary - Vehicle
1 Burglary - Commercial

September was also hot but it was a different story in the Theft Department! Reported were:

1 Criminal Damage (vandal)
1 Subject Disturbing
1 Theft ?– Residential
7 Burglary - Alarm
3 Burglary ?– Residential
1 Burglary ?– Commercial
2 Stolen Vehicles
1 Suspicious Activity
3 Suspicious Persons

Makes ME notice! Although, according to the Police Department, we do NOT have many problems at all ?– that is why you do not see them around often. But there ARE other ways of making them more visible but it takes residents who will make the time for it. Anyone can request the police to ?… watch their home ?… drive thru the neighborhood ?… report ANY suspicious activity, etc.

This also begs US to keep our homes and vehicles locked and our garage doors down. Don?’t invite thieves in. They SEE what we have.

We should remain on HIGH alert when Gravano Sr. and Jr. and Michael Papa are sentenced which should be soon. (Devil Dog Gang ?– remember?) Watch those newspapers. I am REPRINTING an article that appeared in the April Newsletter last year that gives more insight to this:

The REPRINT:

The ?“Devil Dog?” Gang

For those of you who do not have the internet and are not aware ?… you may have seen more POLICE than normal in our area ?– on bikes as well as in cars. That is because Jordan Jarvis, who lives in our neighborhood, was one of the young men who was nearly fatally killed by this gang. There are also unmarked cars in our area, as our neighborhood is under a 24-hour surveillance as of last week.

This gang is known to be VERY violent. If you notice cars or activities that are not normal, please call the police, as they are very aware of this gang?’s presence and will respond. We DO NOT want to unnecessarily call them though. This gang has also been associated with Sammy ?“the Bull?” Gravano and the Ecstasy Drug Ring.

This is a quote from ?“Hansa?” which I thought deserving of printing:

?“This is very disturbing news, but certainly not insurmountable. I hope everyone stays a little more alert than usual. I hope those of you with children will find a way to discuss this with them in an appropriate manner. I feel it's important to include them, because they are, after all, the ones out playing on the street, and they might see things that we don't. Above all, reassure them, and be good examples for them. I don?’t believe we should hide in our houses either ?– the more we are visible in our own community, the harder it is for anyone to view us as vulnerable.?”

Nothing can replace the ?“eyes?” & ?“ears?” of an ENTIRE neighborhood.


NOTES:

1) I?’m searching for talented individuals within the next 2 wks. ?– do you face paint, like to take photos, make balloon animals, play music, etc? Contact michkolar@hotmail.com

2) Safeway continues to support us in donating food items for our Welcome Baskets for newcomers. With all the ?“Buy One ?– Get One FREE?” items they always have, we can?’t help but save money on our own grocery bills by shopping there.

3) Note from Sandy Fisher from our website in the Talk About It section. She gives details. ?“Watch those Christmas Packages Delivered.?”