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In the heat of battle
  
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More than 800 volunteers brave a scorching day to clean up the city and plant trees.
By Jeremy Oberstein
The oppressive heat did not figure into Edward Kim’s plans Saturday when he decided to plant trees on Verdugo Boulevard.
“I didn’t think it would be this hot,” Edward, 17, said with a shovel in his hand and sweat running down his forehead. “But it’s good to be here because we’re helping to improve the environment and improve the air.”
The Hoover High School student was one of nearly 800 volunteers who planted trees, cleaned up trash and scrubbed away graphite throughout the city during Glendale’s 20th annual Great American Cleanup on a day when the mercury rose close to 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The campaign to beautify the city ran in conjunction with similar programs across the country in which more than 2.5 million volunteers nationwide helped give their cities a new shine, said Madalyn Blake, director of community development and housing.
“I am proud to represent a city composed of people who take pride in their neighborhood and who take it upon themselves to make their community an example for all,” she said. “We are committed to a clean and graffiti free city.”
The Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale organized a slew of programs throughout the day, including removing graffiti near the recycling center, picking up trash along Brand Boulevard and planting 28 drought-tolerant trees along Verdugo Road, near Fern Lane.
Organized in partnership with the Glendale Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Glendale Program, the tree-planting program partnered high school students and Boy Scout troop members with city officials as they planted shrubs and oaks native to the state that, eventually, will not require water to grow, officials said.
As officials praised the environmental benefits of the trees, others admired the city’s beautification efforts.
“We are here to make the city nicer-looking, to give Glendale a cleaner image and improve its air quality,” said Dan Salvo, 12, one of three members of Boy Scout Troop #316, from Santa Clarita.
Other programs throughout the city included trash and brush clearing at empty lots that have been an eyesore to residents and a thorn in the side of city officials.
One of those sites was on the 600 block of Pioneer Drive, feet from the Ventura (134) Freeway, where about 10 volunteers raked bottles, cans and weeds into large trash bags.
The site was chosen by city officials because of residential concerns that the lot had become a “common dumping ground,” said Jerry Walton, Neighborhood Services field representative.
“We are going to clean up 500 pounds of trash,” he said. “This is a great program.”
Volunteers at the site included members from Home Depot, the local Key Club and community activists, such as Garen Nadir, a Glendale resident who recently co-founded Coalition for a Green Glendale to raise the city’s environmental profile.
“I was amazed at how Glendale wasn’t a leader on the environment,” Nadir said. “But this is a good program. It’s nice to be a part of the community.”
By the end of the day, about 50,000 square feet of graffiti was scrubbed from city walls, 20 miles of streets and alleyways were cleaned, and five vacant city lots were cleared of trash and debris, said Juan Gonzalez, Neighborhood Services program supervisor.
“This really showed everyone’s commitment to making Glendale a great place to live,” he said.
JEREMY OBERSTEIN covers City Hall and public safety in Burbank. He may be reached at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at jeremy.oberstein@latimes.com.
“I didn’t think it would be this hot,” Edward, 17, said with a shovel in his hand and sweat running down his forehead. “But it’s good to be here because we’re helping to improve the environment and improve the air.”
The Hoover High School student was one of nearly 800 volunteers who planted trees, cleaned up trash and scrubbed away graphite throughout the city during Glendale’s 20th annual Great American Cleanup on a day when the mercury rose close to 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The campaign to beautify the city ran in conjunction with similar programs across the country in which more than 2.5 million volunteers nationwide helped give their cities a new shine, said Madalyn Blake, director of community development and housing.
“I am proud to represent a city composed of people who take pride in their neighborhood and who take it upon themselves to make their community an example for all,” she said. “We are committed to a clean and graffiti free city.”
The Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale organized a slew of programs throughout the day, including removing graffiti near the recycling center, picking up trash along Brand Boulevard and planting 28 drought-tolerant trees along Verdugo Road, near Fern Lane.
Organized in partnership with the Glendale Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Glendale Program, the tree-planting program partnered high school students and Boy Scout troop members with city officials as they planted shrubs and oaks native to the state that, eventually, will not require water to grow, officials said.
As officials praised the environmental benefits of the trees, others admired the city’s beautification efforts.
“We are here to make the city nicer-looking, to give Glendale a cleaner image and improve its air quality,” said Dan Salvo, 12, one of three members of Boy Scout Troop #316, from Santa Clarita.
Other programs throughout the city included trash and brush clearing at empty lots that have been an eyesore to residents and a thorn in the side of city officials.
One of those sites was on the 600 block of Pioneer Drive, feet from the Ventura (134) Freeway, where about 10 volunteers raked bottles, cans and weeds into large trash bags.
The site was chosen by city officials because of residential concerns that the lot had become a “common dumping ground,” said Jerry Walton, Neighborhood Services field representative.
“We are going to clean up 500 pounds of trash,” he said. “This is a great program.”
Volunteers at the site included members from Home Depot, the local Key Club and community activists, such as Garen Nadir, a Glendale resident who recently co-founded Coalition for a Green Glendale to raise the city’s environmental profile.
“I was amazed at how Glendale wasn’t a leader on the environment,” Nadir said. “But this is a good program. It’s nice to be a part of the community.”
By the end of the day, about 50,000 square feet of graffiti was scrubbed from city walls, 20 miles of streets and alleyways were cleaned, and five vacant city lots were cleared of trash and debris, said Juan Gonzalez, Neighborhood Services program supervisor.
“This really showed everyone’s commitment to making Glendale a great place to live,” he said.
JEREMY OBERSTEIN covers City Hall and public safety in Burbank. He may be reached at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at jeremy.oberstein@latimes.com.
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