The Sunnyvale Sun

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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Reaching Out: Kristin Farnham, with sons (from left) Peter, 5, Jack, 7, and Max, 14 months, is the president of the Ponderosa Park Neighborhood Association.

Ponderosa Park residents connect

By Stephen Baxter

On Christmas Eve 2005, a house was broken into on Timberpine Avenue. The burglars probably entered through a sliding back door and stole a few items.

When homemaker Kristin Farnham heard of the burglary on her street, and another in a neighbor's garage in August, she installed an alarm and resolved to get to know her neighbors better. As a mother of three boys under 8 years of age, she talked to other parents at Ponderosa Elementary School about forming a neighborhood association.

The Ponderosa Park Neighborhood Association now has about 40 members in an online group and 10 who attended a recent meeting--and it is looking to expand.

"It seems to be slow-growing," said Farnham, who is the association's president. "I think people are hesitant because they think they'll have to volunteer."

Volunteers aren't needed, but the group wants to reach out in person and online. The neighborhood is bounded by Reed Avenue, Lawrence Expressway, El Camino Real and S. Wolfe Road.

Association members want to keep the area safe, create a more social atmosphere and provide a resource for homeowners on home repairs and services like plumbers and dentists.

The group's vice president, Realtor Edith Espinola, said she also wants to form more of a community.

"Living in Silicon Valley, a lot of us work during the day, and we don't get to meet each other," she said. "I'd like that sense of community in the neighborhood, to have the kids play out in the front yard."

Espinola is a friend of Farnham who helped form the association, and she is also interested in social gatherings in the diverse neighborhood.

City officials consider Ponderosa Park a relatively safe area in one of the South Bay's safest cities. Recent homes have sold from $800,000 to $950,000, Espinola said, and she has described the place to clients as close to technology companies and close to Costco.

But ties could be closer among neighbors, which also would help keep property values high, she said.

For now, online communication might be the easiest way for neighbors to connect. The Yahoo group, which can be joined by calling Farnham, has announcements, meeting times and neighborhood information and ideas.

Farnham, 38, has lived in Ponderosa Park for four years. After she spread the word at the elementary school and distributed fliers, four neighbors came to the first meeting at her house on Sept. 19. Other meetings drew more people.

The next gathering is expected in February at a city parks department building, where residents will likely attend an emergency preparedness talk. A few perks of forming an association include free use of public buildings for meetings and $100 to start a newsletter.

The Ponderosa Park association hopes to meet monthly, and it may apply for project grants.

City officials helped Farnham get the group started, and they want it to succeed because it helps safety efforts and makes it easier for Sunnyvale City Council members and officials to exchange information with them.

There are 18 neighborhood associations in the city, and neighborhood resource officers have attended other associations' meetings to talk about crime and just to meet residents.

Neighbor's vigilance prevents thefts, they said.

"Certainly the city's out there, but we can't be everywhere at once," said John Pilger, a city spokesman, "but the neighbors are there, and they're watching out for each other--that's a very important tool."

Forming an association also makes it easier for city officials to work on issues like slowing traffic and beautification, Pilger said.

At city council meetings, associations also tend to have more credibility than unaffiliated neighbors.

"It gives them a stronger voice," Pilger said.

Neighborhoods that are not organized can get more information on forming a group by visiting www.neighborhoods.inSunnyvale.com, a website run by the city. Ponderosa Park neighbors interested in the group can call Kristin Farnham at 408.261.2055 or send an email to kristinfarnham@aol.com.