When the pigeon abatement netting became snagged under the train bridge—possibly by a large truck—near Delmas and Fuller avenues in late January, neighbors figured they would fix it themselves. But that would have required the residents to take it upon themselves to divert traffic and repair netting that is more than 13 feet above ground.

This initiative concerned San Jose community activity worker Liz Ortiz. She worried that neighbors trying to repair the bridge without help could be harmed. Ortiz called the San Jose Conservation Corps & Charter School, who sent out a team of students to repair the netting on Jan. 29.

"They did a great job," Greater Gardner Neighborhood Advisory Committee member Dan Erceg said. "I was thrilled."

The initial installation of the netting several years ago was a byproduct of the neighborhood's relationship with the city, and was funded by a San Jose Community Action and Pride grant, Erceg said.

The installation was a small but important step for neighbors who dealt with large quantities of pigeons nesting in the bridge girders for years. Pedestrians, Erceg said, would often cover their mouths with handkerchiefs when passing under the bridge because of the confluence of pigeon droppings.

Although there are no witnesses, neighbors suspect a large vehicle snagged the netting while passing under the bridge and the pigeons wasted little time returning to their old nesting ground. "It was like they put up a neon sign that said 'Hey, the joint's open again,'" Erceg joked.

And the repair work was timely because on Jan 30. the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association had its monthly neighborhood improvement day.

Resident Ed Rast was able to procure daffodil bulbs from the city and the neighbors have planted more than 1,000 bulbs throughout North Willow Glen compared to only 300 planted last year.

An improved relationship with the city and neighborhood advocacy is proof that things are turning around in North Willow Glen and the Greater Gardner Area, Erceg said. "When I came here 18 years ago, it really was a place that was a forgotten neighborhood and to get two neighbors together was unheard of," he said. "On these workday projects, it's such a great way to know your neighbors."