Some suggestions on how to continue preserving our Community are:

1. Call 311 to report graffiti (ASAP) or to pick up large items for disposal (It really works!)
2. If you have an exterior wall or surface with a history of being tagged, buy an extra gallon or so of paint that matches the original color to use as touch-up.
3. Contact the Hillside Village Homeowners Property Association if you have a legitimate need for assistance in cleaning your font yard. They would be happy to arrange assistance. If you are able-bodied, your help will be required. Our website is: www.lahillsidevillage.com. Yes we have a website now!
4. Attend the monthly Hillside Village Property Owners Association meetings to keep informed on the state of affairs and crimes that affect OUR community and what can be done to resolve them. Our Neighborhood Watch meeting is at 6 p.m. and our General Board meeting is at 7 p.m. They are held every second Thursday of the month (except December) at Absolute Towing.
5. Be aware of negative activities within our area and report them to proper authorities. We have a Senior Lead Office of the LAPD who is assigned to monitor this area and is very helpful to us at our Neighborhood Watch meetings.
6. Adopt a nearby and manageable area to keep clean; one that would otherwise not get cleaned and that would enhance the cleanliness of our village.

* To read the full article see the Village Voice, Summer 2009

As property owners our main concern is keeping the real estate value of our homes as high as possible. One way to do this is to keep our yards neat and keep grass and shrubs trimmed. If you see graffiti on curbs or on stop signs, call 31 with the location so that the City can remove the tagging as soon as possible. Don't trash your front yard. Remove stacks of paper, boxes, tree trimmings, etc. Break down all cardboard boxes and place in your recycle bin. Remember that it is illegal to park cars on you grass. All trailers and RVs must be parked I your driveway not on the grass. When you have yard sales remember to remove all of the signs that you placed on telephone poles after the yard sale is over. If you need help with your yard ask a neighbor or your Association for some help.

Remember it is I our best interest to keep our neighborhood clean. With the real estate market being what it is, we need to keep our property looking at its best potential and one benefit can be that we can maintain the maximum values. Our neighborhood will benefit from an overall sense of pride, which can become contagious!

In the coming months you will see signs placed around the neighborhood. This is a new way to remind neighbors that our Neighborhood Watch and HVPOA General Meeting will be held on Thursday of that week. We hope that by placing the sings in various locations that you will become aware of our meetings and will mark your calendars. You are always invited to these meetings and we hope that you become involved in your neighborhood.

For all of you who walk your dogs in Ascot Park there are now stations where you can pick up these plastic to use for clean up after your pet. HVPOA is responsible for keeping two of the bins filled with bangs of the convenience of all neighbors who explore our neighborhood's park.

Our Association has been working with Councilmember Huizar in having bus shelters and benches placed around our neighborhood. One has already been approved for the North side of Soto at Multnomah. One will shortly be added at Eastern and Druid.