Dear Neighbors,
I want to share a short tribute to our friend and co-chairperson, James Kennedy. He died suddenly on Monday, November 21st, of a heart attack following a hang-gliding adventure with his closest friend outside of Fresno. He lived life to its fullest, always keeping his family, his 2nd and 3rd grade students at Bonnyview Elementary, and his greater community as his top priorities. He demonstrated his strong passion for community through our neighborhood organization and editorial letters to the Record Searchlight. He was a big kid at heart and enjoyed roller blading the Sacramento River Trail and hang-gliding all over California. I feel so blessed to have known him well and I know many who feel the same.
Most recently he organized a Neighborhood Cleanup Day on November 5th. Here is a photo of our faithful neighbors. Jim is on the very left in the top row. In case you're wondering about those snazzy yellow vests, the City was adamant that we must all wear them in case we're "out in the street."
Below, I have also included a classic photo of Jim in front of a vacant building on Locust, just hours before it was torn down. We had identified a few of the major eyesores in the neighborhood and this was definitely one of them. He was absolutely thrilled it was torn down! He had an unforgettable passion and sense of humor.
Jim's family invites all who knew Jim to attend a celebration of his life at the Elks Lodge on Saturday, December 10th, from 2 pm to 5 pm. There will be cookies, cocoa, live music and crafts for children. This affair is for the entire family. No one is under any obligation to bring anything, but if anyone feels inclined to "do more," there are two possibilities. 1) Jim's family invites us to bake a small batch of cookies to share with others. Jim loved the idea of families baking cookies together. 2) Jim's family has created the "Jim Kennedy Memorial River Trail Fund" at the Shasta Regional Community Foundation in case anyone would like to make a monetary contribution. We hope to see you at the celebration, Saturday, December 10th.
Thank you, Neighbors. Your support, interest, and neighborliness have made the Garden Tract what it is today.
Sincerely,
Monique Gaido
