GRIT Newsletter: August 2025

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Summary of August 2025 GRIT

The August GRIT is, somewhat accidentally, the issue for anyone interested in volunteering. The President’s message opens by urging interested individuals to apply for SHHA committees and/or the Board, seeing as both are in need of new members. The letter also urges neighbors to communicate with each other before engaging in activities that might affect each other’s property, to prevent unfortunate surprises and attendant dismay. The next article, Board Notes, discusses ongoing Board efforts to standardize and streamline its own operations, with an eye to creating a more highly functioning governing body. The Board Notes close with its own plea for volunteers to step forward and apply to serve on the Board. Continuing the theme of asking for volunteers, the Communications and Publications committee asks for volunteer amateur photographers to come forward with photos for the Annual directory cover photo contest, in their article, “Cover Photo Contest!” Entry rules are included in the article. Volunteers are also happily accepted by ABQ Reads, a local volunteer organization that tutors kindergarten and first grade Title I students in reading. Each volunteer works with the same two students for the entire school year, helping to raise the local literacy level in Whittier, Atrisko, and Bel-Air schools. Tutor training starts in August for the school year beginning in September. The ABQ Reads article was authored by Claudia Mitchell and prompted by a suggestion from Julie Sena, a local resident and one of the organization’s 300 committed volunteers.

Aside from articles requesting or extolling local volunteers, the August GRIT contains a few articles of historical interest as well. Long-time resident Ann List samples interesting articles from former July GRITs, dating back to 1982, in her article, “In Celebration of the Sandia Heights GRIT.” Kathleen McCaughey, another resident, chronicles the eight years of devoted citizen effort that led to the establishment of W.L. Jackson Park, along with a recounting of the many important roles W.L. Jackson, the park’s namesake, played in the early days of Sandia Heights: building the tram, starting the volunteer fire department, operating the water well systems, serving for 14 years as Sandia Heights’ fire department chief, plowing snow, and clearing wild creatures off of residents’ properties. W.L. Jackson’s son, Guy, is currently VP of Sandia Peak Utility Company.

More current happenings featured in the August GRIT include the upcoming Sandia Heights Artist Tour, Sept. 6-7, and the accompanying August preview being held at The Gallery ABQ (the same location has a “Meet the Artists” reception on August 1). Bernalillo County Water Conservation Program describes one of their current initiatives as well: the installation of automated metering infrastructure (AMI) for nearly all Sandia Heights residents, and the rollout of the corresponding app, EyeOnWater. The app and meter combination allow residents to easily monitor household leaks, thereby conserving water, avoiding water damage, and reducing water bills. Bernalillo County has itself used the AMI reports to quickly address water leaks, saving 6.1 million gallons of water for the county since 2023.

The August GRIT closes with a notice that, due to resident demand, the sanitation schedule for Sandia Heights Services is now also easily found on the SHHA website, under the “Information” tab. Sprinkled throughout the issue are the usual monthly reports: ACC Projects, approved and disapproved; CSC violations, addressed (closed) and still open; and Community Events (local bridge and supper clubs).