Vecinos del Bosque
Neighborhood Association

Submitted by Leo Padilla

We ended last month discussing how strong the Vecinos del Bosque members are and their power in numbers. They  are constantly seeking membership in their  organization. Their application includes asking  potential members what they are interested in working on. New members are then  matched with the committee   that is working in that area or a new committee is created. They stressed that this is the  secret to their success.   In early April the Vecinos  realized that traffic was getting out of hand on Sunset Street near the community park. In particular, speeders were endangering  residents using the park. On Friday, April 23, 2004, the  community got together, made signs that read SLOW  DOWN and that the posted speed is 25 mph. Then they proceeded to stand by this street, between 4 p.m. and 6  p.m., with signs in hand, for all drivers to see. They also contacted the local law enforcement to help with this event.  I don’t know how many traffic citations were given that day, but I would image that violators were not very happy.   They have managed to slow down traffic on this street and
make it safer for the community.

The SLOW DOWN campaign is an example of the neighborhood’s dedication to “get off the couch and give a Friday evening to their community” - quite a respectable deed. This doesn’t surprise me about the Vecinos. It seems  that whenever there’s a need or a problem they are there to address it. This same mentality carries through to their community events. When the Vecinos host an event it will be good; they treat every event as a challenge.  For example, their annual National Night Out (NNO) event   is held at George and Beryl Montoya’s house. George is Vice-President of the Vecinos and a very respected  community member. The word is that when the Vecinos throw a party they do it right - at the NNO event they  continually have great support from the community and  public officials. Their 2002 NNO won first prize for most the attended event in the City. The Vecinos are currently planning this year’s event and you can bet they will be in the top three in participation. If you attend their event you   may see two clowns walking around having a fun time,  The clown names are Klick and Klack - their real names are George and Beryl Montoya. Both are certified clowns. They visit hospitals, including UNM’s Carrie Tingley, retirement homes and schools.

In my opinion, the Vecinos success lies in the leadership and it starts at the top. I would characterize Richard Rivas as very strong/capable president and leader. Strong board members, like Robert Sánchez, (also past-president) are constantly working on community events. Their success didn’t come over night - it took years; they admit they still have a long way to go. Constant improvement is always on the forefront with this group. Communications and having direct contact with their community, elected officials and public servants is what makes things happen in the Vecinos area. They stressed, over and over, that this is another element of their success. They constantly bombard their community with newsletters and flyers on events and happenings in and around their area. This is how they get volunteers to help with the many events and clean-ups that they sponsor. When their answer lies with government, they stressed that direct and constant communication with elected officials/public servants is how to get issues resolved or minimized in one way or another. One of their projects that struck a chord with me - their neighborhood bicycle program. It’s for kids who want a bike but can’t afford one. The program works like this: the Sheriff’s Office obtains bicycles through many means - sometimes they’re stolen ones and are retrieved as evidence or they might be bikes that are left on the byways. These bikes are kept in storage, by the Sheriff’s Office,
waiting for the owner to show up and claim it. When the rightful owner doens’t make a claim, they call the Vecinos and donate the bikes to them. Many of the bikes have missing parts or are broken, so the neighborhood association fixes them and gives them to needy families in the area. They told me the story of a little girl who was riding her seatless bike to a Vecinos event. They knew they had a bike seat for her bike and quickly dug through their stash of bike parts and found her a seat that matched.  I could go on with more stories about the Vecinos, but I have run out of room. I hope to do a follow-up article  on the Vecinos in the future. Many thanks to Richard Rivas and Robert Sánchez for sharing.

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