Leona Heights Neighborhood News

by Gordon Laverty

"The walls have ears and the streets have eyes" may well describe the surveillance activity of Leona Heights residents in response to recent crime in our neighborhood. Using colonial minuteman tactics, many in our area are listening for unusual night noises and performing around-the-clock observation for intruders on our blocks between Seminary and Leona Lodge. We are grateful for announced OPD personnel increases and hope to see them on the streets soon. In the meantime, we are doing our best to identify and report suspicious persons more diligently in our area. And now we have an official name, the Leona Heights Overpass, for the I-580 on-ramp at Rusting Avenue. One radio traffic reporter in April came up with the term: "The reported accident is on 580 near the Leona Heights overpass." There are certainly enough traffic accidents on or near the on-ramp and 580 to warrant a good geographical identification. And further, there are enough on-ramp accidents related to excessive speed down Mountain Boulevard to warrant another request that the three-block portion have its speed limit reduced to 25 miles per hour. In addition, at evening commute time, a stop sign at Rusting southbound on Mountain is needed to curtail the danger from vehicles shortcutting southbound and the poor visibility from Rusting north. By the time you read this, the Improvement Association will have sent a third letter of request on these subjects. Then finally, as a result of the record wet April, about eleven old oak trees fell along Mountain View Avenue where nonstop rains made the soil so spongy it would not support the shallow-rooted trees. One tree fell onto a house. Another fell onto a power pole near Mountain View and Leona, buckling the pole and disrupting electric service for nearly 12 hours to about 40 homes. Some folks are chain-sawing larger limbs to better balance their trees. Others are watching for slides on their property, and others are just happy to see the lush growth of blossoms from the rain. Happy spring to you.