In an environment of lower property values, it’s important to do what we can to keep our property values from falling further. Here’s a list of the neighborhood maintenance issues I get the most calls on. Take note of what the city actually requires.

Along the nationally recognized historic Route 66 sits an abandoned gas station that is fenced off and boarded up. To the immediate passerby, it may appear to be a nuisance or an unsightly building. But really it is much more than that. There the building sits with its integrity fully intact and a story of rich, diverse history to tell.

On Tuesday, October 28, the Chaffey High School District held a drug awareness seminar for students and their parents. It was held at district headquarters on Euclid Avenue in Ontario. Almost all of the 300 people in attendance came from Ontario—representing Chaffey and Ontario High Schools. But by listening to the parents who stood up and raised concerns, you would have thought the meeting was held in Rancho Cucamonga. At least four parents railed against Los Osos High School—one claiming that the drug problem there was “prolific.” Another woman complained that she had to pull her son out of Los Osos because she couldn’t keep him away from negative peer influence and drugs. A father said he sold his Ontario homes and moved into a prestigious neighborhood in Alta Loma, only to be driven away by the effect of Los Osos’ drug culture on his children.