Leona Heights Neighborhood News

by Gordon Laverty

Summer 2006 has been marked by significant effort to reorganize the Home Alert groups in the Leona area under the leadership of Marilyn King and Martha Hill. Reclustering of home addresses under new block leaders has moved forward throughout the neighborhood. Both the Quarry and Bermuda Triangle areas have been active, thus improving neighborly communications and improving community safety. We are also encouraging the documentation of license plate numbers and other data of suspicious vehicles and their occupants for immediate reports to proper officials. As building accelerates in the old quarry housing area, Leona residents observe increased traffic onto Highway 580 at the westbound Edwards on-ramp, and consequent traffic problems. Entering traffic obstructs those trying to get off at the Seminary exit and also those on 580 trying to get over to the Highway 13 entry transition. This situation was predicted during the quarry development planning arguments but was not then addressed by the state, nor is it apparently being addressed now, though improved signage and highway marking are sorely needed to reduce accidents and near misses. The Leona Heights Improvement Association will soon address another letter to Caltrans on this issue. Vacant-lot fill-in construction of new homes continues to take away the rural nature and natural beauty of our area. But we realize that other folks have to live somewhere, and we welcome new residents. We ask only that builders provide off-street parking to assure emergency-vehicle access and relatively uncluttered streets, and respect our views and private access. We have also asked real-estate people to move signs advertising their homes so that drivers' vision of oncoming traffic is not obscured. Again, we thank the Leona Heights neighbors who regularly distribute the Metro to you: Stan and Kathy Shepard, Lyn Witkowski, Gloria Soliz, and Julie Williamson. Our hats are off to all of you!