Many of you might be aware that the City has an
”
Adopt a Spot
”
program where residents can volunteer to do litter pick-up in a
particular area to help keep their neighborhood clean and
debris-free.
Many of you might be aware that the City has an “Adopt a Spot” program where residents can volunteer to do litter pick-up in a particular area to help keep their neighborhood clean and debris-free. What you may not know, is that the City also offers an “Adopt a Park” program. Last July, the Parks and Recreation Commission decided to step up and adopt Carriage Hills Park. At least once a month, Commissioners visit the park to do litter-pick up and ensure that the park is clean and safe for visitors. It has been such a worthwhile experience that we want to spread the word and encourage other residents and community groups to adopt a park as well. There are many parks in need of a little TLC!
Did you know that the city has two exciting trail projects currently in the works? They are the Lions Creek Trail between Wren and Farrell, and between Kern and Wren. Both trails will run along Lions Creek and be open to pedestrians and bicycles. The city will operate the trails through an agreement with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and be responsible for the maintenance of the trails.
The trails are scheduled to be built between now and this summer. The Santa Clara Valley Water District and the State Resources Agency have provided critical grant funding to make these projects a reality. Once they are completed, we can all pitch in and help keep them clean and safe.
Some other areas desperately in need of attention are the Uvas Levee trail from the sports park to Santa Teresa and the trail on the west side of Uvas Creek through Christmas Hill Park.
Top 5 reasons to adopt a park:
5. You will be helping to keep our parks clean! No one wants to visit a park that is full of garbage and debris. A clean park makes visitors feel safe and secure.
4. It is a great way to get outdoors with family and friends. Make it a group effort and have a picnic lunch before or after.
3. You will be setting a great example for the rest of the community by showing you care. When other park-users see you donating your time to keep the park clean, maybe they will be inspired to do the same.
2. It is actually great exercise! Going to the park to do litter pick-up is a great way to get off the couch and get moving! It is also a way to get your kids “unplugged” and outdoors.
1. It is really fun! I always have great time when I visit Carriage Hills Park. There are kids playing on the playground, teenagers playing basketball and parents socializing.
If you are interested in adopting a park or just volunteering in general, you can contact:
– Susan Voss
Volunteer Coordinator
(408) 846-0418
su********@**********ca.us
The Parks and Recreation Commission also welcomes your input! We invite you to attend one of our meetings held the third Tuesday of every month in the City Council Chambers at 6 p.m.
Author Anna Bielecki is the vice-chair of the Gilroy Parks and Recreation Commission. Reach her at pa************@***il.com. Anyone interested in writing a guest column may contact Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@****ic.com
