Simpson Neighbors

Simpson Neighbors

History

HISTORY
One of first new growth areas in the Valley after WWII. Neighborhood boundaries are I-17 to 19th Ave; Bethany Home to Camelback. First homes were built around 1948 on former cotton fields and cattle pastures. The major subdivision, Bethany Villa Homes was built around 1953 through 1957, and is bound on the north by Bethany Home Road. Architecture is predominately 50's ranch style homes with carports and large yards. Landscaping consists of Bermuda grass, oleanders, palms, mulberry, ash and lots of citrus trees. It's time for a change and the trend is heading toward desert landscaping. When homes were new, they were identical; over the years have been quite individualized.
CLOSE IN
When this area was developed, it was about 7 miles north of the incorporated City of Phoenix in the middle of farmland. Now it is in the heart of Phoenix. It is very convenient point of origin, since the west boundary of the neighborhood is I-17. Our neighborhood is served by shopping right across 19th Ave. at Spectrum Mall, formerly Chris-Town. The original owners, who still live in our neighborhood, remember the old man Chris who originally owned all the property around here and still farmed a portion of it into his 90's. Chris-town was completely renovated, changing from a traditional shopping center to a "big box" format with Wall-Mart, Costco, Petsmart and Dillard's Clearance Center.
In our neighborhood is a Phoenix Fire Station. Within a mere 3-tenths of a mile of our neighborhood is Phoenix Baptist Hospital, The Washington Adult Center, Washington Park and Public Swimming Pool, the YMCA, Solano Park, the Yucca branch of the Phoenix Public Library, Harkins Theatres, the Jewish Community Center and all the fast food you could want. In the center of our neighborhood at 23rd Ave. and Missouri is R. E. Simpson Elementary School, opened in 1956 as part of the Alhambra Elementary School District. The School was named in honor of Robert Edward Simpson, an Alhambra Elementary School District Superintendent who died sometime between 1957-1962. The school serves 4th through 8th grades. Simpson School was completely rebuilt in 1996 or 1997.
Through the neighborhood association, The Diamondbacks donated a beautiful baseball diamond and scoreboard to the School. Westwood Elementary is located south of Camelback on Pierce and 23rd Avenue and serves Headstart and Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Because we share our children with both schools, we have always felt connected with the Westwood Neighborhood. Across the street from the school is The Boys' and Girls' Club which has just undergone a major remodeling to include teen activities and will reopen in March 2004. The club provides a lot of fine after-school activities and a summer day camp all of which have greatly benefited our very own neighborhood children.

Association

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
With the encouragement of Alhambra District Office, the principal of Simpson School helped parents Peggy Klitzke and Paul Enniss, (Co-chairs) & Paul's wife Cindy Enniss (Treasurer) start Simpson Neighborhood Community Association, about 1995. The association has been a true bridge between old and new, uniting neighbors with available community services to aid the transition from run-down blighted neighborhood to a desirable community. Paul Enniss has been a very effective liaison with our city and state politicians, the Phoenix Police and Phoenix Neighborhood Services. Peggy Klitzke focuses on neighbor activities, planning the Annual Neighborhood of Yard Sales (about 60 sales, coming up 3/20/04) and the Annual Lights of Friendship Luminaries (80 volunteers creating and placing about 9,000 luminaries. Both neighborhood-wide activities are designed to help neighbors get acquainted. The neighborhood association charges no dues. Our motto is "do's not dues". Our beautiful luminaries are paid for by donations and offered as a gift to the whole neighborhood. It's a beautiful sight! Luminaries are set along every neighborhood street each year by the Wake Up! Club, a community service-oriented after-school program of 6th, 7th and 8th graders from Simpson School. The club is sponsored by Phoenix Police Officer Bill Dickenson, the school resource officer. Participation in this event by many Mexican-American students and their parents has built community involvement within a traditionally reticent demographic group. Other principal community association members include Bill & Leslie Hickey, heads of Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol and Ruth Voytek, head of 15 volunteers who distribute neighborhood newsletters. Chris Porter, secretary, is also artist of four distinctive neighborhood sculptures welcoming people to the neighborhood. The abstract sculptures depict a child at play. The child's torso contains a grate revealing transparent marbles donated by the children in a ceremony at Simpson School. Each sculpture reads "Welcome to Simpson Neighborhood" and is angled so the marbles glow in the evening sun.
NEIGHBORHOOD RENAISSANCE
When Mayor Phil Gordon was the Councilman from District 4, one of his first moves was to award our neighborhood a City of Phoenix Fightback Grant in 1998. This focused about $80,000 toward additional police activity, school programs, and neighborhood services aimed at bringing every neighborhood house into zoning compliance. Huge improvements were made to eliminate drug houses, chop shops and repair many homes. Lisa Hubbard was the Fightback Coordinator. She has been a real friend to our neighborhood, expressing a "can-do" attitude at each request and shepherding us through the programs and services available. Not only the interior of the neighborhood experienced a rebirth. The sections of I-17, Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road near our neighborhood were completely redesigned and redone. Car Dealerships on Camelback, and Phoenix Baptist Hospital received major remodeling. An ABCO shopping center on Bethany and I-17 replaced an ugly blighted area. McDonald's rebuilt.

Negatives

ISSUES THAT HAVE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOOD
Paradise Parkway Corridor For over thirty years the spector of the Paradise Parkway right-of-way corridor lay over our neighborhood just below Missouri on Georgia, hindering development. The State created blighting conditions as they gradually bought up many homes, creating "tenants-at-will" with no stake in their rental properties. Governor Fife Symington got the parkway off the state transportation plan. He and his wife attended a block party in our neighborhood to celebrate. The houses were sold at auction. Gradually this area has improved.

About our association

Meetings

Simpson Association meetings will be held the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:30Pm in the Simpson School cafeteria located at 23rd Ave & Missouri

goals

Simpson neighborhood is committed to keeping our community a safe clean quiet community. Simpson charges no dues and has events to get to know our neighbors.