RIVERSIDE: Hundreds help clean up city

RIVERSIDE: Hundreds help clean up city Professional wrestler Jeremy Hardy of Moreno Valley grappled with a different challenge Saturday before heading off to a show in Palm Springs later in the day, joining about 750 volunteers picking up trash, painting over graffiti, planting trees, cleaning storm drains and doing whatever else to make Riverside a more beautiful city. Hardy, 27, was part of a crew of about 60 who worked by the Van Buren Drive-In Theater near the intersection of Gibson and Lincoln avenues. Hardy's haul included an empty bottle of Merlot (2008 vintage), a tire, a couple of liquor shot glasses and a dead cat. That was less garbage compared to past years when he's found televisions, beds and other forms of civilization's waste. Hardy, who is also a student at Riverside City College and a satellite campus of Chapman University, has a profound attachment to Riverside after a transient upbringing. A member of the University Eastside Community Collaborative for two years, Hardy said, "It's family oriented and community driven. Riverside is a community that takes care of its own. I've always wanted to be a part of something like that." Hardy and other volunteers wore yellow safety vests, and posed for a team picture before they set off to be a part of the Great American Cleanup. They wore gloves, worked with hoes, rakes and shovels and guzzled bottled water. Team leader Josh Maher told the group, "Thank you for taking time out of your Saturday to do something good for your community." Many were college students like Enrique Sanchez, 22, a junior at UC Riverside After his work was done, Sanchez said he would turn his attention to preparing for upcoming final exams. Rosie Martinez, a student Azusa-Pacific, Calry Sjogren, Fahad Naeem, Noeni Villegas, students at UCR, and Lauren Antrim, a student at Cal State San Bernardino, worked on the north side of Gibson Avenue. Riverside city employee Tim Hennessy had about 35 gallons of paint to cover graffiti on the canal wall by the theater in what once was a farming community. Robert Filiar, the urban forester for Riverside, led 10 volunteers in planting 30 Washington Naval Orange trees on Victoria Avenue at Madison. Filiar said area residents requested the trees. The volunteers were Kiwanis Club of Riverside members and UCR students. They dug holes 15-18" deep and 12-14" wide before he planting. "It's a perfect day for planting," said Filiar. "It's not too hot. It's not too cold. It's good for the volunteers. It's goodfor the trees." Kiwanis Club President Ken Crowl said, "This is one of our community functions. Our club is 92 years old." Connie Librenjak, executive director of Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, said the volunteers were spread around the city to forty sites. The budget for Saturday's event was around $5,000. Twenty five schools in Riverside competed for honors. Alvord High School students were presented the overall championship trophy. The most inspirational award went to Sierra Middle School. "To hit 750 volunteers is pretty wonderful," said Kathy Wright, chairwoman of the advisor board of directors. " RIVERSIDE: Hundreds help clean up city Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 14/05/2012