The Simpson Stump - August 2023

Communities Matter. Community Matters.

Has anyone noticed the cool new thing Simpson Neighborhood got this year thanks to

Grant money? Yup. We have Simpson Neighborhood sign toppers scattered

throughout the neighborhood. This has been a long time coming and will hopefully help

identify our neighborhood just a little bit more. Big thank you to Steven Still for coordinating

that entire effort with the city and the vendors approved for fabrication and installation.

That is not the only news for this time around.

Normally this time of year we are in the throes of organizing the GAIN event in October complete with the bouncy castles, face painters, and street closure etc. This year we have decided to delay that event. This delay will create just a little bit of spread between events for those trying to organize and host as well as hold our GAIN event when we have a chance of more comfortable weather. We will be holding it in the March/April timeframe. More details to come as those plans get solidified.

City of Phoenix Updates

The Community Safety Plan mentioned in our previous newsletter is still getting set up, with

regular meetings for the involved neighborhoods, organizations, partners, and city contacts. We will be sharing some of those updates in our August meeting coming up.

Another change that is coming, every 10 years the city reevaluates the council district borders and adjusts them to keep the population in each district balanced. None of the proposed changes have been announced yet, but since we are on the border / corner of a district, there’s a chance that our district might change. It’s also very likely we will have a new council person regardless, as Councilwoman Pastor is looking to run for another position. The city is looking for feedback on the redistricting, and if you’re interested you can learn about the process here: https://phoenixredistricting.com/

We will of course be sharing updates with the neighborhood about who our representative is, and how to contact them should that change. As a reminder, our current City of Phoenix

Contacts are:

Phoenix PD, Community Action Officer:

Eric Boardman

(Eric.Boardman@phoenix.gov ; 602-534-1859

Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department

Johnny Mendoza

(johnny.mendoza@phoenix.gov)

Also, with the heat of summer and (hopefully) monsoon storms arriving soon, it’s possible

neighbors may need help with water or cooling stations, which most valley cities have set up

across the valley. Our closest cooling center is the Yucca Branch Library at 17th ave and

Montebello, and the nearest hydration station is at Washington Park Activity Center (23rd Ave and Citrus Way. Stay safe out there, everyone!

What Can the Neighborhood Help With

The Simpson Neighborhood Association was able to procure a Blockwatch Grant for 2021,

2022, and we are glad to announce 2023 as well. This funding has previously allowed for

these newsletters, and purchase of safety, security, & community building equipment to be

shared or available free of charge to neighbors.

The 2023 funds allowed for t-shirts and hats to hand out at events, flashlights, motion lights,

and bicycle locks. It also included funds to continue the annual luminaria display and

delivery of the newsletters to all our neighbors. If you need tents, tables, chairs, PA System,

padlocks, light timers or anything else for your events, please contact your co-chairs Steven or Randi to coordinate your needs.

Community Updates

As there are always things going on in a neighborhood and city this size, we will be

working to share a few of the more timely ones here:

● Changes around Christown Mall and Solano Park are still slowly taking shape. The new Skatepark at Solano is nearing completion. The surrounding neighborhoods continue working with Phoenix Parks to get the park issues under control. And the changes at

Christown we have reviewed previously are still planned, starting with two apartment complexes being proposed behind Wal-Mart in the always empty parking lot.

● We will be looking at resuming the regular alley cleanups later this year/early next year. Watch socials and the newsletter for details in the fall when these resume and how to get involved.

Upcoming Events

● Next Neighborhood Meeting will be August 15th @ 6:30 pm - First Indian Baptist Church, 2205 W. Georgia

● Annual Luminaria Display December 15th-17th

● Hot Chocolate Social December 15th @ 6:00 pm - 1944 W Luke Ave

● Neighborhood Garage Sale March 2nd

● GAIN Street Fair/Potluck weekend of April 6th exact date/time still TBD

Get Involved

Volunteer Opportunities abound especially now that we have funding and additional administrative overhead.

● Street Captains to put out luminaries for the holidays

● Volunteer(s) to assist as a treasurer

● Volunteer(s) to assist as a secretary willing to help coordinate future newsletters, record minutes, etc.

● Volunteers to help with Alley Cleanups again once the weather cools down

Follow Us

Look for Simpson Neighborhood Group on

Facebook or join Nextdoor for additional onlineinteractions.