South Colton Gets Neighborhood Cleanup

COLTON>> Many believe one of the most exciting things to see in any community is people coming together and recently, 40-45 residents came together in coordination with the City Parks Department and Councilmember Dr. Luis Gonzales for the annual “Neighborhood Cleanup” in south Colton. Starting at 7 a.m., the City's Parks Department crew, under the leadership of Al Garcia, were ready and waiting at the Veteran’s Park parking lot with bins, receptacles and a back hoe. One by one, cars and trucks pulled up, unloading their old items into the back hoe driven by a maintenance worker, Carlos Alba. From there, Alba transferred the contents by raising the hoe at least 12 feet to make a precise drop into the large bins. Gonzalez was part of the process by welcoming the residents and helping them to unload their vehicles. “I’m so jazzed so many residents participated,” said Gonzalez, who said he was thrilled he had to call Republic Services to request a third bin. “That’s a couple of tons of stuff.” Garcia said he felt the event went well and was a great opportunity for residents. "Those without vehicles even brought their stuff in carts," Gonzalez said. The annual cleanup of South Colton has been a regular activity for several years, but this year, the efforts were ramped up by getting the word out to people. “Good communication is so important” stressed Gonzalez, who is spearheading another cleanup event in North Colton August 27. The planned location for the next event is on the corner of 9th Street and E Street, across the street from The Villas senior complex. Community members can drop off their unwanted items between 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.