January 15th saw a group of people spending a few hours together in an effort to make a difference. Approximately fifty volunteers armed with shovels and rakes worked along the railroad tracks in Artesia between South Street and 187th Street Saturday morning cleaning up tumbleweeds, debris, and weeds. The cleanup was coordinated by Council Member Michele Diaz and she was joined at the event by Mayor Victor Manalo and Council Members John Lyon and Sally Flowers. The volunteers were a diverse group but all were interested in improving the appearance of their city. Planning Commissioner Miguel Canales attended with his family and was instrumental in encouraging a number of students from Gahr High School to come and help out. Members of the school’s National Honors Society were especially well represented. Pat Nelson was kind enough to offer her pickup truck to haul the trash to the bins that had been donated by Consolidated Disposal. The Water Replenishment District also contributed to the event by donating bags to hand out to the participants as a thank you.
Council member Diaz said, “I am very encouraged with the turnout today and I hope we can do this type of volunteer effort every couple of months. I love the fact that people of all ages from all over the city came out to help. We spent just a few hours working but I think we made a big difference in how the area looks. This was a true community effort.
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