Hello Neighbors!
We're pleased to announce that Alma Park Neighbors were featured in the July edition of San Pedro Today! Shortly before the Picnic in the Park, which took place in June, the magazine sent Nadia Nizetich to interview a number of neighbors about the work being done to create a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming community around Alma Park. If you haven't had a chance to check San Pedro Today out, you can review the July edition by clicking here. We are mentioned on page 4 in the letter from the editor, and also have a full-page article on page 20.
In other, less pleasant news, Alma Park has once again become a target for vandals. You can take a look at the vandalism here. As the amount and frequency of vandalism increased, our coordinators decided to meet in the park on June 22 to discuss what could be done to deter such crime. While we were there, at around 5:30 in the afternoon, three teenage boys entered the park and began to vandalize the shed, in broad daylight in front of a park full of people!
Once one of our coordinators made it clear that she knew what was going on, two of the three boys pulled hoods up over their heads and hastily departed north on South Meyler street. The third boy, who had been acting as their lookout, headed off in another direction.
As always, we documented the vandalism, opened a cleanup request, and emailed details about the incident to all of our contacts at the Los Angeles Police Department.
To help keep the neighborhood clean and safe, we ask that everyone have the MyLA311 app installed on their phone. If you see vandalism (or mattresses, appliances, or other large items that have been dumped in alleys or on sidewalks) please take a moment to open a MyLA311 incident.
Also, we ask that if you see something, say something. Please report suspicious activity by calling (877) ASK-LAPD. We know the hold times can be long, but the police allocate their patrols to neighbors with more calls. So the more we call, the more service we receive.
There is one last thing we would like to mention. Our group knows that many members of our community do not speak English as a first language. As such, and to align with our mission of making our community more welcoming, we are working on making our newsletter available in Spanish, and hopefully eventually in other languages too!
Here's what you can expect to find in this month's issue:
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Featured Article: Water Conservation
No matter where you stand on the climate change debate, one thing is certain - the West is in a severe drought, and California is in the middle of a “megadrought”. So, it’s an especially good time to remind everyone that small changes outside your home can have a big impact on your annual household water use. In our last newsletter, we shared ways to save water in indoor areas.
Cualquiera que sea tu opinion acerca de la polemica de cambios climaticos, una cosa es segura y es que nuestra zona costera enfrenta mucha sequia, y California esta en el medio de una muy severa. De manera que es importante recordarles a todos que son los pequenos cambios fuera de tu casa los que pueden causar un impacto grandisimo en el consumo de de agua. En el pasado boletin informativo les compartimos maneras de ahorrar agua en areas interiores.
What’s hidden underwater at Lake Mead, you ask? You may have seen the recent photos, from the discovery of a barrel with human remains to the B-29 Superfortress on a test flight. These artifacts have literally “surfaced” due to the extremely low levels of water stored in Lake Mead. Lake Mead is the country’s largest reservoir, pumping water from the Colorado River, and one of three sources of water that serves California.
La pregunta es que se esconde debajo del agua del lago Mead? A lo mejor ya has vistos las fotos recientes con un barril de restos humanos. Estos artefactos han salido a la superficie debido al bajo nivel de agua en este lago. El Lago Mead posee la reservacion mas grande del pais que bombea agua desde el rio Colorado y es ademas uno de los tres recursos de agua que utiliza California.
Back to water conservation…so did you know that approximately 60% of your annual water use is outside your home? Here are some tips to help reduce outdoor water usage: Regresando a la conservacion del agua, sabias que aproximadament 60% de tu uso de agua anual occurre fuera de tu casa? Mira estas recomendaciones para ayudar a reducir el uso del agua.
Check your sprinkler system for leaks, overspray and broken sprinkler heads - you can save up to 500 gallons per week! Revisa tu systema de regado y asegurate que las cabezas de las regaderas o grifos no esten danadas o partidas y asi podrias ahorrar hasta 500 gallones por semana.
Save up to 40 gallons per day by installing a smart sprinkler controller that adjusts watering based on weather, soil type, and the amount of shade. Ahorra hasta 40 galones de agua por dia instalando un controlador de regadio que se ajuste al clima, al tipo de suelo y a la sombra.
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Our previous meeting
On Saturday, July 4, at 9:30 am, 19 neighbors gathered in Alma Park for some coffee, cookies, and socializing.
Six neighbors met in Alma Park at 9:00 am to begin the park's monthly deep cleaning. The park was in good condition with minimal litter and no noticeable vandalism.
We were fortunate to be joined by Officer Melody Shortle, our area's Senior Lead Officer (SLO) and Daniel Ollado of the Harbor Division Citizen on Patrol program. More information about the Citizen on Patrol program can be found here. Officer Shortle talked a bit about the ongoing vandalism issues in Alma Park. She asked that if we see vandalism, we please use the MyLA311 app to report it. LAPD does receive notifications when vandalism reports are submitted.
Officer Shortle also noted that the number of items stolen from doorsteps and unlocked cars is still high. She recommended being extra diligent to ensure your car is always locked, even if you are running into your house for just a minute. She also suggested parking in your own driveway or garage if possible.
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Our next meeting
Please join us on Saturday, August 6 at 9:30 a.m. at the park tables for pastries and fresh coffee.
We have a very special guest lined up for our next meeting: Danielle Sandoval, a candidate for City Council District 15. While we are a non-political group, we understand the need to successfully partner with the city council to ensure our neighborhood goals and objectives are familiar to the new council person, whoever that might be.
Tim McKosker will join our group on September 3, 2022
Be sure to follow us at www.almaparkneighbors.org for the latest happenings. Also, you can always email us with questions or concerns at almaparkneighbors@gmail.com.
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Emergency Prep tip of the month
If you've been reading these newsletters for long you'll know that we put a lot of emphasis on the importance of communication in an emergency. Most of our focus has been on radios because they are a proven way to communicate over distance, and are not dependent on power, internet, or cellular systems.
We know not everyone is ready to get a ham license, and even family radios can be confusing. However, there is a much more basic, and possibly more important communication device everyone should have - a whistle.
A whistle requires no power, no technical know-how, or line of sight. If you are injured and need to call for help, a whistle is much louder than yelling, and requires much less energy. Whistles are small, so can be easily kept by your bed, in your purse, on your keychain, or in your car, and they don't have expiration dates. Best of all, they're one of the most budget friendly emergency prep items. "Expensive" whistles, that blow at over 100dB (REALLY loud), are $9 for two.
Here's a great pair of whistles: https://amzn.to/3uWiOFI, and you can even find perfectly good (but less loud) whistles for $1 or less.
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Upcoming events
Here is a list of upcoming events taking place in our neighborhood:
- Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 9:00 am: Alma Park Deep Clean. Join your neighbors, have some fun, make friends, and make a difference!
- Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 9:30 am: Alma Park Neighbors monthly meeting IN-PERSON! Join us at the picnic tables in Alma Park for some light refreshments. Our special guest will be Danielle Sandoval, a candidate for City Council.
- Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 5:30 pm: AlmaNet radio check-in! For more information on participating, please check out this article on our website.
Be sure to check out our Events page for the latest information about the schedule.
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Thank you!
According to NBC Los Angeles, Los Angeles has seen a 9% decrease in water usage compared to June 2021. You can check out the article here to learn more. And while it's important to keep trying to save, it's also essential to give ourselves some kudos for the efforts we've taken to contribute to this reduction.
So, neighbors, thank you for the efforts you've taken to comply with the water restrictions, and doing your part to help!
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