Broadmoor is My Neighborhood

On one early morning walk a few weeks ago, I came upon this sight along the curb of Arroyo Chico. Walking a little further, another brick appeared, then another and another. "Someone went to a lot of time and effort to do this" I thought, and watching a family of quail scurry across the road and hop the brick on the way into the Arroyo, it was confirmed to me that it was time well spent. I later learned that this project was the brainchild of neighbor Cindy Elliott. What a labor of love and in fact, a great example of what is good about our neighborhood.
People make our neighborhood great. From those who drop in on our elderly neighbors to check on their welfare, to the ones who console us when we lose a family member or even a pet, the people in our neighborhood have a sense of community that values others and it is expressed in as many ways as there are households.
Some of our neighbors take on the often thankless job as an officer in the neighborhood association, organizing meetings, editing the newsletter, collecting the modest dues and in the course of duty, defend our neighborhood from unfeeling bureaucracy. Did you know that there once was a plan to turn the Arroyo Chico into a cement culvert? Well the tireless efforts of some of the members of the BBVNA brought a stop to that. The trees that shade us on the east end of the Arroyo are thanks to the vision and efforts of the association too, as are the stone gabions on the west end.
Some of our neighbors keep a close eye on the neighborhood while they are out and about, looking for graffiti and organizing paint-over details. Some keep a watch on the Arroyo Chico, notifying authorities of unusual activities. Don't get me wrong, this is not a neighborhood of snoops, but one with just the right mix of awareness, caring and community.
A great expression of that community is the annual Fourth of July parade. Probably one of the best attended neighborhood holiday parades in town, scores of people brave the Summer heat to express their love for our country by marching in full patriotic regalia around the neighborhood and at the end, share food, drink and stories. We probably have more flags per capita than any other neighborhood, thanks to a patriotic real estate guy who also lives in the neighborhood! (That's me!)
Halloween gives us an example of what the rest of the city thinks about our neighborhood. Apparently well known for its generosity on Oct. 31st, Broadmoor is visited with van loads of children from all over town. It is not unusual to give out hundreds of pieces of candy if you dare answer your door to the various ghosts, goblins and monsters who ring your doorbell.
What do you think makes our neighborhood great? E-mail me and I will include your comments. - Wayne To be continued....