Locals to clean up Eastside streets

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A small army of people sporting trash bags, graffiti clean-up kits and new trees will pepper Santa Barbara’s lower Eastside today as part of the 5th annual Community Clean-Up hosted by Looking Good Santa Barbara.
It’s an effort, according to Lorraine Cruz Carpenter, executive director of Looking Good, that stimulates an appreciation for the community through the puddles of sweat and blisters it takes to pick up tons of garbage, which can’t be seen from anywhere better than on street level.

“When you’re in your car driving around you don’t see the kind of litter that’s out there until you’re actually out there walking, looking at things and cleaning it up,” Carpenter said.
Aside from the fleet of people expected to show up for the cleanup — Carpenter said about 200 residents are expected to participate — two roll-off dumpsters will be dropped on Canada Street between Indio Muerto and Cacique Streets to help stifle illegal dumping. The dumpsters will be available between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
The city’s Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments will also participate in the clean up.
Carpenter said 25 trees will be provided by the Parks and Recreation Department as part of a Tree Diversity Project, which is a collaboration with the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
“Eastside neighbors are encouraged to participate,” Carpenter said. “Residents near the tree planting areas are invited to participate in the plantings and ongoing care of the newly planted trees.”
The trees will be planted in areas surrounding Canada and Pitos Streets, where volunteers will assemble just before 9 a.m. and be provided with equipment and assignments. Carpenter said anyone interested in lending a hand is welcome to come.
Since the first clean up five years ago, Carpenter said 1,153 volunteers have helped clean 146 city blocks, where 9.65 tons of green waste, 12.07 tons of recyclables and 19.75 tons of trash has been collected.
Carpenter said a big part of the clean-up is educational in the sense that it instills a sense of pride in the people who reside there, which helps ensure the neighborhood stays clean through the year.
“We have had a great success in transforming neighborhoods through this event over the past five years and look forward to doing the same this year,” Carpenter said. “The work is hard, but very rewarding.”
She said the best way to do this is to hit the streets and realize how much trash and graffiti exists.
“People learn while on the job,” Carpenter said. “They get a sense of what’s really out there on the streets, they see all the work it takes to get it cleaned up.”
Looking Good hosts clean-ups in other neighborhoods throughout the year, but Carpenter said this is the big one.
She said residents who want to organize clean-ups in their neighborhoods can contact Looking Good for help.