August, September and November 2011 GNA Events

Walk with the Mayor: August 13, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Grand and Jurupa Aves.

Join the Walk with the Mayor scheduled specifically for the Grand Area. These walks with Mayor Loveridge have taken place throughout Riverside and offer a unique opportunity to highlight the parks and neighborhoods of Riverside, and to meet the Mayor. Our very own Councilman Mike Gardner will also be in attendance to add to the conversations about our area’s history, landscape, and character. Water will be provided. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and sunscreen.

GNA Block Walk on Wednesday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., starting at the corner of Jurupa Ave. and Sunland Place

Join us on a group walk through the smaller neighborhoods bordering Jurupa and Grand Aves. (Streets to be covered during this walk include Sunland Place, Grassy Trail Drive, Deerfield Ave., Greenbrier Drive and Old Mill Road.) This walk will include members of the Riverside Police Department, Code Enforcement, and residents from the Grand area in an effort to identify trouble spots in the neighborhood and work collaboratively toward improving these areas. We will also be talking about larger safety issues. Bring your flashlights and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Last Quarterly Meeting of 2011: Thursday, November 3^rd from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the ARC facility at 5105 Jurupa Ave.

Guest speakers to be confirmed…but we’re hoping to have a “meet and greet” with the new owners of the shopping center at Grand and Jurupa Aves. This would be a great opportunity for them to talk about their plans for the Center and for local residents to provide input concerning our community’s concerns, needs, and goals.

August reminders and news

Greetings friends of the Grand Neighborhood Alliance,

Just a quick reminder that this Tuesday, August 2nd from 6pm to 8pm will be the GNA’s National Night Out event at the 5400 block of Grassy Trail Dr. (right at the corner of Grassy Trail Dr and Greenbrier Dr) We’re very much looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting new friends and neighbors, in addition to having the opportunity to chat with members of RPD, Councilman Mike Gardner, and other City of Riverside folks. We’ll have lots of chairs, tables, snacks and drinks. It’s our very own neighborhood block party! Please join us and show your support for our community.

*Please note that this event will serve as our August meeting and will replace the one originally scheduled for the first Thurs. of August.*

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National Night Out: Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Grand Neighborhood Alliance will be holding its first ever National Night Out (NNO) event on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 from 6pm to 8pm at the corner of Greenbrier Dr and Grassy Trail Dr. (just off of Jurupa Ave. and a couple of blocks away from the Jurupa/Grand shopping center).

Last year 37 million people all over the United States participated in NNO activities and it has been a very successful method for preventing crime in neighborhoods, strengthening neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and sending a message to problem people that our neighborhoods are well organized and have strong community and police support in combating crime. (See more about NNO here: http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/about.html)

I can’t emphasize enough that the success of this event really depends on the attendance of GNA friends and local residents. Representatives from the City of Riverside and the Riverside Police Department will be present to show their support. We will have plenty of free food and drink available. We’ll set up tables and chairs on the lawn so everyone can hang out and enjoy themselves. We’re working on making this a fun event with an important purpose. Families and friends are welcome.

I will send updates to everyone as plans for this event continue to evolve.

Please put GNA’s National Night Out event on your calendar for August 2, 2011 from 6pm to 8pm at the corner of Greenbrier Dr and Grassy Trail Dr. (Please note that this event will serve as our official quarterly meeting in August.) You can also e-mail me at this address for more exact directions.

Meeting notes for 5/5/2011

Grand Neighborhood Alliance Meeting Notes for May 5, 2011 (taken by Wendy DeBoer, GNA Leadership Team)

Deputy Chief of Fire Michael Esparza, Riverside Fire Department

Spoke about the way in which RFD responds to a fire. They have a response team and management team that respond to all fires, whether large or small. Try to establish a stronghold around fires and surround it. Operate “surgically” and focus on the firefight, each group has a specific task. Have one of the top investigative teams and arson canine who train with ATF and FBI.

When fighting large fires, resources may have to be brought in from elsewhere, such as crews and bulldozers.

In the case of the Oct. 2010 riverbottom fire, still not clear what caused it. They evacuated 5-6 homes near Anza Narrows.

Upcoming GNA meeting on May 5

Save the date for our next meeting on May 5, 2011!

Our guest speaker will be Riverside’s Fire Marshall, Chief William Schellhous. He will be speaking about fire prevention and safety, a topic of special concern to our residents given the recent river bottom fire in November. We will also have our regular updates from the Riverside Police Department and Councilman Mike Gardner.

Location: 5105 Jurupa Ave. in the ARC facility next to the Laundromat

Agenda forthcoming…

Meeting Notes for 2/3/2011

Grand Neighborhood Alliance Meeting Notes for February 3, 2011 (taken by Wendy DeBoer, GNA Leadership Team)

*Please note that this GNA meeting was distinct from previous ones held in 2010. It was intended as an open forum for residents of the Grand area to talk about their concerns and provide input on the direction of the Alliance itself. By request of the GNA leadership team, there was no City Council or RPD representation.*

Update from the Grand/Jurupa Shopping Center subgroup

The elder Mr. Wong passed away and his son acquired the Center. It is currently in escrow. The group, with the assistance of Mike Gardner, was unable to learn the identity of the buyer or the future property manager. Mike was told that the buyer owns around 20 other properties and intends to improve the Center and sell it within 4-7 years as a “value-added” property. There are concerns in the subgroup that the buyer will push up the rents, rid the Center of its good tenants, and put in less desirable tenants who are willing to pay higher rent just to have a place to operate (e.g., pawn shops). Unfortunately, the subgroup is in a “holding pattern” until we know who the buyer is. We are going to formally request a meeting with the buyer through the agent, as that will formalize our desire to speak to the buyer even prior to their purchase of the property.

Open Forum for Attendees

Attendees were asked to talk about what issues mattered to them and what they’d like to see addressed in future meetings. The following represents individual comments and concerns:

Appreciate having meetings where information is presented about what’s going on in the area, as we have been doing.

Really like having the police in attendance, it is comforting to have them here. Feel gratified to see that they are addressing issues raised in the meetings. Would like to have more about what programs the RPD offers in Riverside and what is available to residents.

Appreciate getting the alerts from Nancy Castillo about what’s going on.

February 3rd Meeting

Save the date!

 

Grand Neighborhood Alliance (GNA) meeting on Thursday, February 3, 2011

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Location: 5105 Jurupa Ave. in the ARC facility next to the Laundromat

 

**Open forum for residents in Riverside’s Grand neighborhood area**

We will be deviating from our typical GNA format at this meeting to hear more directly from residents. At this open forum, we strongly encourage our residents to share their ideas and concerns about neighborhood issues and about the group itself, so that future meetings are organized in ways that best reflect our community. We will do our best to ensure that everyone who attends this meeting has an opportunity to provide input. (Please note that there will not be updates from RPD or Councilman Gardner at this meeting.)