It has been a great pleasure serving as President of the Fair Oaks American River Gateway Neighborhood Association over the past year. Our group was initially formed to combat a development threat to the neighborhood, which we did with some success. As that threat has diminished we have concentrated on other issues affecting our life in the neighborhood such as traffic, roads and crime. Also, we sponsored a picnic last year for the entire neighborhood, and published a newsletter. We are doing so again this year. Knowing your neighbors and attending community activities are a great way to improve your quality of life. Unfortunately we have seen an increase in property crimes over the last year. A great way to combat this type of crime is to know your neighbors and keep the lines of communication open. I hope you will attend our picnic this year and bring your children. Who knows, maybe you will make a new friend. Serving as a Board member in the Neighborhood Association has also been great. Through attendance at the monthly Board meetings, I have come to know a number of my neighbors much better as I have stayed on top of the issues affecting our lives. This year, there will be a number of vacancies on our Board, and I hope you will consider joining us in friendship and service to this great comer of Fair Oaks that we call our place to live.
