The Angry Fish Mural (16250 E. 14th St.) was unveiled at a ribbon cutting on July 10th! This mural is one of a series of murals on East 14th created for local small businesses by young artists from REACH Ashland Youth Center. The program is the result of a DSAL partnership with REACH and the Alameda County Office of Education, funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Huge thanks to all our partners, teachers and youth artists for boosting cultural capital in the neighborhood with this great new work of public art! Contact info@acdsal.org or (510) 481-4517 with questions or ideas for future Eden Area beautification projects.
Reflections From the Field: Who's doing the work
SEAN SULLIVAN - School Resource Officer (SRO)
In 2017, after four years as a deputy in Alameda County, Sean Sullivan took on the role of School Resource Officer for San Lorenzo High School and Edendale Middle School. In June of 2019, he was named National Resource Officer of the Year by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).
School Resource Officers help schools ensure a safe learning environment by being present and engaging with students, teachers and families in a positive way. They act as informal counselors or mentors for students, help teachers and principals troubleshoot solutions for problem behaviors, and give classroom presentations on safety, community building and youth development.
“Working with youth is rewarding,” Sean says. “Through the Explorer program and through casual conversations, I get to provide advice on life and what lies ahead, and help kids improve their decision making. I also get to connect with parents and support them through challenges. It feels great to be able to play this role and show the community we care."
DEPUTY JOE DELGADO - Sheriff's Deputy
As a member of ACSO’s Crime Prevention Unit, Deputy Delgado’s priority is stopping crime before it happens. And he’s good at it! Case in point: an Ashland trailer park on his beat that used to generate 50-90 calls per year has only generated one so far in 2019. What’s his secret?
“Two things,” Joe says. “One: community policing. Meaning a consistent ongoing presence where people see your face and get to know you. Everyday you go there and have two-way conversations and encourage people to be part of the solution.”
“The second thing is the environment.” With 60 hours of training in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) under his belt, Joe surveyed the community on ideas for making the trailer park safer and made sure they were implemented. “We’ve installed new lighting, new cameras and a new security gate. We also tore down abandoned structures and repaved some of the area. Residents are beginning to feel a sense of ownership and pride; we need to stay consistently involved to keep things moving in the right direction.”