America in Bloom volunteers spruced up portions of Santa Paula on the January 28 Beautification Day, including the linear park at Santa Barbara and 10th streets where The Warning statute (left) is located.

America in Bloom: Beautification Day spruces Bike Trail, 10th St.

February 10, 2017
Santa Paula News

American in Bloom Santa Paula Chapter has done it again by staging a Beautification Day targeting several areas of the city for some sprucing up.

According to Doreen Reckon Pitluk of AIB, volunteers ranged from Future Farmers of America members and their advisor Alex Flores to “Plenty of kids” and staff from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley as well as individuals and informal groups.

Volunteers met January 28 at the Gazebo for the event bringing their own gloves and gardening equipment. 

Projects included picking up trash at Veterans Memorial Park and the sidewalks up and down 10th Street 

“Dianne Davis,” the AIB Founder and President, “and two of the FFA kids planted City Hall with succulents,” said Reckon-Pitluk.

Professional landscaper and AIB member Mike Coleman “took a crew and did the triangle on Ojai-Santa Paula Road,” a.k.a. Highway 150 a major thoroughfare, “at Saticoy Street with three FFA kids and it looks just beautiful!”

America in Bloom member Gary Nasalroad “Worked at the old fire station,” at the corner of 8th and Santa Barbara streets, then switched his attention to the Bike Trail with Jane Lax and a crew of kids willing to work on the path used by many.

The area surrounding the “The Warning” monument and linear park on 10th and Santa Barbara streets were also groomed.

“We really had a great crew,” although, Pitluk noted, more volunteers are always welcome.

“The boys and girls, kids in particular loved to help; I had one little boy who kept asking me ‘do you know my uncle Jimmy?’ he meant Jimmy Fogata,” the SPPD Sgt. now recovering from a heart attack.

Overall, said Pitluk, “It’s really nice when the community rallies. We had some people I hadn’t met before show up. And Ed Mount,” the City’s Recreation Director, “was a great help, brought us tools and trash bags and had his crew out there. We used the Depot to serve the pizza and Ed set it up for us, he was a big supporter.”

Pitluk said planting and then regularly maintaining the succulent and ground cover at the old fire station is just one example of what AIB can dos and more project ideas are always welcome.

“If anybody knows of any projects, please let us so we can work those in to what we’re doing. Our Beautification Day was a big success.” although Pitluk, recovering from surgery, lamented the only help she was able to offer was “Driving around delivering water to the volunteers, and then picking up the pizza,” for the noon celebration back at the Depot at the event’s end. 

America In Bloom is a national nonprofit organization, a great resource and motivator to improve Santa Paula’s public image. For more information visit the Facebook page, America in Bloom Santa Paula California.





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