6:30 p.m. Coffee/Dessert Potluck

• Come for coffee and potluck dessert, chat with your neighbors & begin or renew your RWNA membership—only $5.00 for the year 

7:00 p.m. Annual General Meeting

• Representative from the Community Food Bank’s Community Garden Program will explain the nuts and bolts of starting a community garden + some personal gardening tips from neighbors
• Year-end reports of RWNA activities and preview of what’s in store for 2012
• Election of 2012 Executive Officers, Board Members and Street Representatives
• Drawings for great prizes! Must be present to win
• All neighbors are welcome—your participation in our Neighborhood Association is a great way to enhance the quality of life in Rosemont West

 

Article by Jane Strohm

Some graffiti has historical or political meaning, some is genuine artistic expression. The graffiti that pervades in our city is predominantly tagging (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti) - vandalizing a surface with letters or a name using marker or paint. It appears to be a rite of passage, a cry for attention or notoriety, or claiming territory. It may or may not be gang-related. It abounds in all parts of Tucson (including Sam Hughes) and beyond (upscale neighborhoods in Oceanside, CA). Marking on walls dates back to the cave paintings, except this paint job isn’t telling a very good story.

I recently renovated a home in RWNA and have lived here since December 2010. Before selecting my new home, I noted little graffiti and a strong sense of community as I walked the streets and introduced myself to neighbors. I’ve been very happy living in RWNA and am hopefully contributing to strengthening the existing community by rallying more people to help with graffiti removal. The relative low persistence of graffiti in this neighborhood is due almost entirely to the volunteer efforts of long-time resident, Steve Campbell. He works nearly everyday to help keep RWNA beautiful. Thank him the next time you see him, or better yet, get involved in busting graffiti.

Across the nation, people have come together with tips and tricks for battling graffiti and maintaining beautiful, healthy neighborhoods. The best tactic is quick removal, because like the clutter on our counters and desks, like attracts like. The longer graffiti is allowed, ignored, and tolerated, the more likely we see more, bigger, harder to remove tags, and subsequently crime escalates. Don’t assume someone else will report it or clean, take action!

Before I moved in, I cleaned up graffiti on my street. Not long after I moved in, I found myself cleaning the same signs of the same repeated tag and I got frustrated. I couldn’t keep up. We’re all busy, but if each person takes on a small nook of the neighborhood (even if it’s just your property or one sign or wall), the load is distributed and Steve can have some weekends off! He has noted that while this past winter had one of the highest rates of tagging, this summer has had one of the lowest. I’ve noted that we’re still getting tags, but they are fewer and often from new “names” that don’t repeat after removal. Hopefully, the reduced tagging is related to our efforts which sends the message, “we care about our neighborhood!”

At the April picnic we launched Graffiti Busters and the “adopt-a-sign” model that we hope has a way for everyone to contribute to keeping RWNA graffiti-free. Adopting means watching a sign or wall and immediately reporting it (see below) or cleaning it as soon as possible. (Thank you to those who already signed up to take-on a piece of RWNA!) The more people we have taking action, the greater our success. For more details visit the RWNA Graffiti Busters website: http://bit.ly/rwnagb

Here are some ways to help out:

· Report It! to the City – ASAP!

Þ Phone Number 791-2489

Þ online: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/graffiti/report

Þ email: graffiti@tucson.gov

Þ phone app: search “myTucson” or “myPimaCounty”

· Give RWNA Graffiti Busters permission (Forms) to paint your property, and report it to us: rwnagb@gmail.com

· Get your neighbors (especially on alleys) to sign a permission form so we can clean it.

· Adoption: Adopt a “sign” or section of RWNA

· Remove it (Removal Tips) or Report It!

· Check & notify your neighbors so they can Report It! or Remove It!

· Donate $ to RWNA GB. - Contact a RWNA Board Member

· Purchase removal supplies for RWNA GB.

· Solicit donations of removal supplies.

· Write/call City council members.

· Apply for a grant.

· Organize a fund raiser.

· Coordinate a service project with neighborhood schools/businesses/clubs.

· Purchase an RWNA Graffiti Busters t-shirt (proceeds go towards graffiti removal supplies)

· The more people that report it, the better. It doesn’t have to be your property or your street - take action!

· If you own your property, but can’t clean it, give us permission and contact us - we’ll help clean it up (often faster than the City).

· Stay tuned for an upcoming graffiti removal workshop.