Winds of Change

Thanks to all who participated in the Alden Park Community Garage Sale on Saturday, April 19th. Here are a few pictures of neighbors selling their wares along Sequoia Boulevard, from 8:00am til 1:00pm.

And thanks to those who braved the high winds later that afternoon to attend our first Neighborhood Watch meeting of the year.

Didn't make it to the meeting after the Garage Sale? Well, here are a few highlights of what you missed...

Officer Irene Rose reported on the success of our Neighborhood Watch program since it began last fall, following the death of Steven Klent on September 9, 2007. She shared some very specific crime statistics for our community, for the eight months before we began looking out for each other, and in the eight months since. Take a look:

Incidents of THEFT 1/1/07 - 9/1/07 = 9

After our Neighborhood Watch, 9/1/07 to present =2

Incidents of BURGLARY 1/1/07 - 9/1/07 = 17
After our Neighborhood Watch, 9/1/07 to present = 1

Incidents of VANDALISM 1/1/07 - 9/1/07 = 13
After our Neighborhood Watch, 9/1/07 to present = 5

Incidents of VEHICLE THEFT /1/07 - 9/1/07 = 5
After our Neighborhood Watch, 9/1/07 to present = 1

Mayor Brent Ives was also on hand to congratulate all the members of our community for having such a dramatic and positive effect on reducing crime in our neighborhood. Representatives from City Code Enforcement also passed out magnets with the Hotline number for reporting violations of the Tracy City Code. It's (209) 831-4646. The Office of Code Enforcement can be reached at (209) 831-6410.

In a brief update on the Steven Klent murder, Officer Rose noted that the case was still open and that community involvement would be key to solving the crime. "What you might remember about that day might not seem like much," she said, "but it could fit together with other pieces of the puzzle and add up to solving that terrible crime." She reiterated that anyone with any information, however small or seemingly insignificant, should contact Crime Stoppers at (209) 831-6847.

In the news...

The resilience of our community has made headlines today in our local newspaper, The Tracy Press. Be sure to pick up a copy before they sell out!

And check out the pictures of our local celebrity, Elia Yniguez, of Sequoia Boulevard. A 36-year resident of our neighborhood, Elia and her dog, Dinky, posed for the paper then trouped over to the park with her daughter, Vicky, and two grandchildren.

Don't forget to clean out your closets and get ready for next Saturday's community garage sale. Following the sale, we'll have our first Neighborhood Watch meeting of the year, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm in Alden Park. See you there!