News from the Allied Gardens Grantville Community Council

By Shain Haug

The Board of Directors of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council (AGGCC) met on April 4. Once again, the most pressing topic discussed was the 2016 First Friday in the Park Concert Series.

Most concerts at the Allied Gardens Recreation Center Park will begin at 6 p.m. and the last note sounds at 8 p.m. The recreation center restrooms will be open through the concert and until 9 p.m. If you did not attend last summer, talk to your neighbors who did — we are sure you want to join us this year.

On Friday, May 6, the kickoff concert will begin at 5 p.m. with a warm-up performance by a group from the School of Rock, a leader in professional education for aspiring musicians aged 7 to 18. Beginning at 6 p.m., Theo and the Zydeco Patrol will bring us sounds straight from the backwoods Zydeco dance clubs, backyard crawfish boils, and bayou festivals – the very best in Southwest Louisiana dance music. Bring your dancing shoes.

The other performers this summer are:

June 3 — The Rollers (Beatles Cover Band)

July 1 — Classic Buzzband (Classic Rock)

Aug. 5 — Sirens Crush (Pop Top 40)

Sept. 2 — Rachel Aldous and The Road Home (Bluegrass, Folk, Americana)

Other items discussed at the April 4 meeting included updating the AGGCC website and the need for skilled tech assistance; obtaining a donated laptop; pursuing speed monitors on Zion Avenue; and requesting assistance in strengthening Neighborhood Watch for the community.

At the AGCC Town Hall Meeting on March 22, our new San Diego Police Department Community Relations Officer John Steffen introduced himself and responded to questions regarding criminal activity in our community. He told us that the police are spread thin and that the department relies on reports from citizens to get law enforcement attention and assets to the hot spots. He recommended coalitions of neighbors to keep eyes out for criminal activity and to make anonymous reports by calling 619-531-2000.

San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Glen Holder discussed the new firehouse on Friars Road, the effect of El Niño on water restrictions, and the development of the local hazmat team.

Councilman Scott Sherman’s representative Liz Saidkhanian offered assistance in forming a Neighborhood Watch group and discussed the lack of any immediate progress in getting a replacement for the Albertson’s store.

Congressman Susan Davis’ representative discussed recent developments in the Congresswoman’s legislative agenda including her work on the Older Americans Act.

The keynote of this town hall meeting was the presentation by San Diego River Park Foundation executive director Rob Hutsel. He discussed homelessness in the river littoral, clean-up efforts, the planned River Park and Trail system, and the development of the Discovery Center in Mission Valley. This organization is engaged in some remarkable work. We encourage you to visit sandiegoriver.org or call 619-297-7380 to consider signing up as a volunteer with this important organization.

The AGGCC holds town hall meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each odd-numbered month. Our next town hall will be on Tuesday, May 24 at the Ascension Lutheran Church, at the corner of 51st Street and Zion Avenue.

The high point of this meeting will be a presentation by and Q&A session with District 7 Councilman Scott Sherman. Sherman grew up in Allied Gardens and now resides in the home in which he was raised. He has a lot of territory to cover in District 7, but how fortunate we are to have a representative who so intimately understands our concerns and interests.

—Shain Haug is the vice president of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council. He can be reached at [email protected]. Your suggestions for Town Hall meetings will be much appreciated.