Byline: By Richard Fox
I have been working on building the new Web site for the neighborhood association of
Fairview Place, a small neighborhood in central Phoenix. To that end, I've recently taken
a sentimental journey down memory lane.
And what a sentimental journey it has been. As I scanned each newsletter, some 95 so far, I took the time to look at each one.
What an incredible wealth of information lives in those pages. Everything from hundreds of articles about Block Watch to a whole series of landscape articles.
And the life of a strong community chronicled in the pages in between.
Marriage announcements, memorial announcements, Ruby McCumber's 103rd birthday announcement. Children born, marriages, divorces, relationships started, relationships ended, houses bought, houses sold.
Getting involved with my neighbors has enriched my life in ways I would never have predicted. I have seen friendships made because of our neighborhood association that would never have happened without it. Let's face it: We are all very, very busy.
Without our neighborhood association acting as the catalyst to bring us together to face issues, many of us would still not know one another. Until I got involved with the Web page project, I really had not been aware of just how enriched my life has been by living in this neighborhood and being involved with our association.
We have all agreed and disagreed on issues, but the fact remains, we still would not have known one another if it had not been for our neighborhood association. And in spite of our differences, we have become good friends.
Just like any family, just like a community.
Our neighborhood is a successful example of how community really can be rebuilt in this age of very busy people.
I am so thankful to have had the experience of the past nine or so years. I strongly suggest you visit our Web site and browse the newsletters not only for the information, but also to experience just how rich a community you live in.
In fact, any neighborhood can visit our Web site and see just how they too can rebuild a community in their neighborhood.
I served for several years on the Phoenix Block Watch Advisory Board. That board served to promote Block Watch and act as a liaison between Phoenix citizens and the Phoenix Police Department.
For three of those years, I served as the board's president, interacting with neighborhood groups all over the Valley. I shared with many of those groups what we have done in Fairview Place and have seen some really strong communities built using our ideas as a model.
At one of our neighborhood meetings last year, a Block Watch activist from a nearby neighborhood spoke of the virtues of the program. I was amused because he was speaking to a group that has set many of the standards for Block Watch groups all over Phoenix, as if we had not yet discovered the benefits of organizing our own Block Watch.
I was also encouraged by that experience - encouraged to see new individuals who, like us, feel passionate about issues and rebuilding community in Phoenix's neighborhoods.
He will undoubtedly make great strides in innovating and improving on how to teach neighborhoods all over the Valley how to improve.
And we will undoubtedly benefit from his efforts. The point is, thanks to enthusiastic citizens, Phoenix has earned its place as being the best city in the country to live in.
We, the citizens, neighborhood by neighborhood, have discovered and innovated new ways to solve our problems ourselves in partnership with our city, county and state governments and our police departments. No matter where you live, if you want to see how to rebuild community in your neighborhood, check out our Web site at http://www.fairviewplace.org on the Internet.<