April 21, 2007

Ventura County Star

Help Needed for Cleanup of Arroyo Simi
By Star staff

Volunteers are needed for the Simi Valley Neighborhood Council's fifth annual cleanup of Arroyo Simi.

The project, from 9 a.m. to noon April 28, will focus on the arroyo at Madera Road, south of Easy Street. The effort is just one of the beautification projects planned in Simi Valley and made possible with the help of a $5,000 Keep America Beautiful Network grant from Waste Management. Representatives from Waste Management presented the money to the Simi Valley City Council earlier this week.

Waste Management is a nationwide sponsor of Keep America Beautiful and is working to provide grants to help tackle key community improvement issues across America.

At last year's cleanup day, 275 volunteers helped collect 11 tons of trash. Some of the unusual items collected over the years are a hospital bed, motorcycle and shopping carts.

"We live and work in the area, and keeping it clean and safe is important to all of us at G.I. Rubbish and at the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center," said Mike Smith Waste Management market area general manager. "Many people don't realize that when they dump trash onto the street, it often drains down to the arroyo and then eventually to the ocean. Our contribution is meant to prevent that from happening."

Waste Management has been involved with the annual cleanup since it began in 2002 and has provided free collection and disposal services. The company's involvement this year will be similar to last year, when Waste Management employees and their families volunteered to help with the cleanup. The company also donated food for lunch that was cooked and served by its volunteers to all participants.

For more information about the cleanup, including how to volunteer, call Laura Magness, Neighborhood Council coordinator, at 583-6756.

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