A chance to meet the neighbors

Gary Moskowitz

Jade Jaber comes to Maple Park about four times a week, but he

chooses not to spend time at the park at night because he doesn’t

feel safe.

Jade, a Glendale High School freshman, joined a crowd of a few

hundred residents on Saturday at the third annual Maple Park

Community Celebration. The event was hosted by the city Parks,

Recreation and Community Services Division, Glendale Police and Fire

departments, Glendale Park Rangers and the Department of Community

Development and Housing.

The Maple Park Community Improvement Committee organized the

annual event to encourage community involvement and to promote safety

in the Maple Park area.

“I live in this neighborhood, and it’s pretty good,” said Jade,

13. “But at night, it’s not always good. People that [paint] graffiti

and jump people and steal come here at night, and I don’t think it’s

right. I can tell people not to come here at night and to be safe.”

The annual celebration was created three years ago primarily so

the city could ask residents to fill out surveys about the safety of

their neighborhood, said Gabrielle Winter, the city’s community

services supervisor.

The initial surveys asked residents questions like, “Do you want

more lights in the neighborhood?” and “Do you feel safe here?” Winter

said.

“We wanted to let neighbors meet each other in a positive,

non-emergency situation, in a positive setting,” Winter said. “It’s

all about bringing people together. We have police here, so residents

can see that they are normal people who are willing to help. And it’s

become a way for us to show people all the things we do, because many

of them might not know.”

Saturday’s event included carnival games for children, like a

basketball toss and a ring toss, and Glendale Park Rangers brought

out a climbing wall. Several informational booths were set up and

KBIG-FM (104.3) provided music.

A similar neighborhood celebration is planned for Pacific Park

once the community portion of the Edison-Pacific project is completed

in September, officials said.

“I think they could put more lights up around here,” said Vazgen

Kirakosyan, who attended the event with his 4-year-old son, Alex.

“They could put more police around, too. When it’s dark here, it’s

not safe.”

City and police officials have discussed renovating Maple Park to

make it safer, by possibly putting up additional fencing and lights,

said Glendale Police Officer Dean Hess.

“The community can help be the eyes in neighborhoods for us,” Hess

said. “With the community’s help, we can become more aware of things

that are happening.”

If residents see something happening in their neighborhood that

looks suspicious, but is not an emergency, they should call 548-4840,

Hess said. Residents should call 911 when they witness fights, acts

of violence or weapons, he said.