BLIGHT TO BRIGHT

“BLIGHT TO BRIGHT” RETURNS TO NORTH LINCOLN AVENUE WITH STAKEHOLDERS SGV VOLUNTEERS

A group of volunteers was organized to help clean up a blighted area of north Lincoln Avenue, between the intersections of Parkmoor and Coe Avenues, nearby downtown Willow Glen.

[Click here to see the Google Map Location]

The work group met at Elements Apartments at Race Street and Parkmoor Avenue as of Saturday 26 July 2014; thereafter going out to the clean-up site along Lincoln Avenue.

Volunteers picked, raked, shoveled and bagged enough debris to fill several garbage bags; while also clearing excessive brush and trimming trees that obstructed walkways and streets.

Problems with homeless encampments contributed much of the debris in this area, as volunteers found littered food packaging, batteries, abandoned clothing, electronic parts and so on.

The worst area was clearly around two of the abandoned buildings on Lincoln Avenue between Paula and Pedro Streets.  Anne’s Flowers (955 Lincoln Ave) has since vacated and the next building over has been affected by fire damage and remains fenced-in.  The opposite end of this stretch from Anne’s Flowers is the Croatian Catholic Mission Assumption of Mary (901 Lincoln Ave), which is on the corner of Paula Street.  The address at 945 Lincoln is a deeper lot, including the burned out building, which is behind the church, and includes volumes of debris still behind the fence.

[Click here to see this map between Paula & Pedro].

Stakeholders SGV thanks Debbie Cain of Prometheus, a managing company for Elements Apartments, for hosting a continental breakfast for volunteers at the lobby of the building. 

After the clean up, lunch was provided by Chris from Bertucelli’s La Villa Delicatessen.

Richard Zappelli left Willow Glen Neighborhood Association back in May 2014, now to chair Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village.  Zappelli termed-out after nine years on the WGNA Board, last serving as President for the previous two years, from 2011 to 2014.   He is the founding chair of Stakeholders SGV, another group which he plans to develop, although it's been established since 2009.