The Simpson Stump - August 2019

Happenings in our Community!

We want to welcome Officer Nochta to our community as he takes up the role of School Resource Officer (SRO) for RE Simpson School. For the next year he will be working with nearby schools and neighborhoods as well as in Simpson to help organize community and service events for the students. As a neighborhood, we’re looking to support him in these upcoming activities, and to help the school when they apply for ‘Wake Up!’ Funding for next year. Both an SRO as well as the ‘Wake Up!’ Program are wonderful resources Simpson has had in the past, and we’re more than happen to help bring them back!

The International Rescue Committee is a great asset to the Phoenix Metro area and has an active presence in our immediate neighborhood. In addition to two community gardens near the intersection of 19th Ave and Camelback, they support numerous small businesses in the area. They are also the group that organizes the World Bazaar PHX at the Camelback & 19th Ave Park and Ride, as well as the smaller weekly markets held at the southeast corner of 17th Ave and Camelback during the cooler months. They have been integral to the Movies in the Park being held at Solano, closely working with the City of Phoenix and the Camelback Light Rail Corridor community group. They’re currently evaluating adding classes for the community at one of their garden facilities, focusing on gardening, cooking, and healthy meal planning. As we get more information in the coming months, we will be sharing that on Nextdoor as well as our Simpson Website and Facebook Group.

Cooler weather will be upon us soon (we hope), and that means it's almost time for the next Simpson GAIN event! This year it will be located on Luke Avenue, between 19th and 20th Drive (the street will be closed to thru traffic for the afternoon). Activities will start at 3:00, and will be a bit larger than previous years. Planned activities include a Potluck (bring your favorite side dish / beverage / desert). Simpson Neighborhood Association will be providing Fajitas (chicken, steak, and veggie) for everyone, so plan your dishes accordingly! In addition to the potluck and raffle from previous year, we will be adding some new activities for all ages! We're looking to get a bounce house set up, as well as other activities for the kids to participate in, and also a small (very) local artists market for everyone to enjoy, featuring small businesses from Simpson and surrounding neighborhoods. (If you'd like to have a table set up at the event, just let us know at azstills@gmail.com)

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September's Simpson Stump

With bulk trash having just been collected and the weather getting pleasant enough for cleaning out yards, houses, and garages, now is as good a time as any to review some Alley basics! The short version: Alleys are property owned and maintained by residents, for their own use, or use by an authorized person (such as cable, phone, water, or city employee). This means we're responsible for keeping the areas in the alley behind our houses free from litter, debris, and significant amounts of weeks and vegetation. The reasoning behind this isn't just the city being difficult, or keeping the alleys pretty; it also eliminates housing for rats, roaches, and hazardous critters (thinking black widows). Keeping the weeds and dead vegetation to a minimum is also critical for keeping the fire danger minimized.

The easiest way to keep alleys clear is be proactive. Make sure your trash bags make it into the large alley cans (if you don't have street side services). If garbage is illegally dumped behind your property, report it to Phoenix Public Works (602-262-6251). If you observe illegal dumping in progress, call the police non-emergency line (602-262-6151) with as much information as you can. The city says they can determine between illegal dumping, and the adjacent homeowners piling trash in the alleys, and personally I'd rather make the report myself and hope that provides some good faith it wasn't a problem of my making. Also, a topic we've mentioned time and again: The alleys are not sidewalks. People who do not live on a property adjacent to the alley should not be using the alley as a thoroughfare or shortcut. If you see this happening, we ask that you call the Police non-emergency line and report it. If the dispatcher gives you a hard time, remind them we have a long history of issues in our alleys (tipped over dumpsters, items being stolen form backyards, and general waste, some of it hazardous).

Alleys aren't all negatives. They do provide access to our backyards for service and accessing some sheds / garages. Additionally, they alley is your property, and there are uses you can get out of it. The key point is that you must maintain vehicle access through the alley, and allowing for that you can use it for several activities. Alley walls are the residents property, so they can be painted or decorated as you like. Murals do not require city permission (nor can the city remove it without a signed form from the resident). Additionally, any ground that isn't used for vehicles can be used for landscaping. You can include a small garden or herbs if you like, or of desert cacti to discourage loitering in some corners. Of course, planting anything in they alley does mean it has to be maintained (not overgrown, and not left if it dries out). The city has said they will provide some sample photos of what some neighborhoods have done to improve their alleys, and we will post them on the neighborhood page once we have them.

Think that's it for this month (and this summer!)