Lila Ray is proof that one person can make a big difference in a neighborhood. Here’s a photo of her taken by KOAA-TV at the Aug. 4 block party she organized as part of the National Night Out events.

Ray got tired of drug dealers and criminals hanging out in her modest neighborhood just off B Street at the north gate to Fort Carson.

Below is a look at the area from www.FlashEarth.com

 So Ray asked an El Paso County Sheriff’s Department deputy how to start a Neighborhood Watch group. She was put in touch with the Crime Prevention unit and before long, she was hosting a watch group, passing around petitions and organizing a clean up effort in hopes of establishing a neighborhood park.

On Aug. 4, she organized a block party to coincide with  National Night Out festivities around the region.

Here’s a video report  KOAA produced at the party.

Here is a link to a previous Side Streets blog about Neighborhood Watch efforts in Colorado Springs.

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