From House To Home

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A few years ago, the La Loma neighborhood was in decline. While it had beautiful homes and the Dry Creek Park running through it, it was also a gathering place for the homeless, and crime rates were on the rise. Mike Moradian, a homeowner in the neighborhood, recalls, “A group of neighbors always talked about [the problems] and complained. One day I said, ‘I need to stop complaining. This is a beautiful area, and we need to reclaim it.‘“

Meeting with four to five neighbors in his courtyard in 2006 to talk about solutions, Moradian says, “I was so excited about leading [an organization], and they were willing to work with me to resolve it. I met with the city to see what resources were out there.“ What came about from that conversation was the La Loma Neighborhood Association (LLNA), a group of people, led by Moradian as president, who are committed to rebuilding, restoring, and bringing about a renaissance to their community.

A well-established neighborhood with some homes dating back to 1929, Jerry Frad, a member of LLNA, says, “By Californian standards, that’s history! It’s important to me to continue the historical legacy of our neighborhood and preserve its unique character for future generations. I love the sense of continuity of generations that our community provides.“

Today, there are 2,100 homes that fall under this neighborhood, and changes can be seen all over. In July 2007, the first big project the association tackled was to restore the famous roundabout at the entrance to the neighborhood. With a grant from the city, 60-70 people showed up over the course of four weekends to replace broken hoses, pull out bad vegetation, and plant new flowers.

One of the things Moradian is most proud of from that project is that the neighborhood has many kinds of homes, from very modest rentals to million-dollar properties, and people from all the demographics showed up to volunteer their time.

With the success of that project, neighbors started suggesting different projects and ways to make the community better. A neighborhood street fair at Christmas, with nearly 40 vendors, was established. This spring, people will gather to put in new playground equipment at Moran Estates Park with additional money granted from the city. Moradian says that his role today is to “connect people’s visions and make sure they happen.“

In addition to the projects, the association also publishes a monthly newsletter, which Frad is in charge of. Hand delivered by volunteers each month, Frad says, “The newsletter is a vital link in connecting the neighborhood and distributing information about safety, events, and volunteer opportunities.“

It was this newsletter which prompted Joe Muratore, a relatively new resident of the neighborhood, to get involved with the association. He says, “I bought the house and found a neighborhood newsletter and thought it was cool that someone took the time to write a newsletter with events. I thought, ‘Here are some people with real initiative.‘“

Initiative is what prompted Lillian Vallee, a long-time resident, to begin nature walks through the neighborhood last fall. She says, “I have an abiding interest in the natural history of the area. We have a beautiful, long park right along the creek, and it lends itself to walking. It’s 10 o’clock the first Saturday of every month. We are doing it rain or shine.“

There is no shortage of interesting ideas, both short and long term, which neighbors are coming up with to continue to make the La Loma neighborhood a great place to live. Moradian says, “We’re finding that [we] have projects that people want to lead and run themselves, and I help the neighborhood find people to support those projects. Now I have people who are engaging to be part of the process. If you’re a renter or make a million dollars—it doesn’t matter to us. Let’s get involved and make this a better place.“

Vallee sums up the new attitude of the entire neighborhood and says, “There’s a lot of new and fresh energy, and it’s positive; it’s driving the neighborhood to figure out a very active identity for itself.“