IN THE MIX:Clean-up day just the start

The Mission Mendoza clean-up day has come and gone but the work is far from over.

The day itself was great, but I’m happy to say the changes started before Aug. 5 and residents plan to keep them up indefinitely.

Way too early Sunday morning I joined a bunch of other people gathered to paint fences, hang doors, plant greenery and pick up trash. OK, well, I stuck with planting stuff.

Of course the Mission Mendoza moms, Ryan Sim from Orange County Congregation Community Organization, Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley and City Atty. Kimberly Hall Barlow were all there before me.

They gathered donated goods and organized people according to their skill and desire.

City Manager Allan Roeder and Assistant City Manager Tom Hatch were also deep into the clean-up. It’s kind of cool that what the city wouldn’t pay for, top city officials were happy to physically take part in.

There was a large group of men from the Nancy Clark and Associates recovery center. They were some of the few with the skill to hang doors and fix fences.

I worked for a while with Mike Dalessandro who takes it upon himself to regularly clean the block wall at the entrance of Mesa del Mar. On this day he had some help from Costa Mesa resident Jennifer Loomis. She and her 14-year-old, Danielle Ducharme, read about the clean-up effort in the Daily Pilot and came out to get involved.

Foley said at the end of the day the duo, who live outside the neighborhood, asked her about the possibility of having a similar day in their area.

In the end I was concerned there weren’t more people out, though there was a nice number there, and the changes weren’t dramatic enough.

I felt much better when Foley told me the promising news that as the clean-up day approached residents started improvements in advance and more importantly, some of the property owners stepped up and fulfilled some of their maintenance responsibilities.

It’s nice of them to step up, but it’s also already their responsibility.

I understand why some council members are hesitant to spend money on projects that are the responsibility of the private sector — in this case, the property owners. The problem is, those property owners sometimes shirk that responsibility of keeping things up.

It would be a great world if tenants could actually compel their landlords to keep things tidy and safe, but in the real world sometimes people need incentive to fulfill their obligations.

Some city administrators have already contacted landlords and they’ve responded. Hopefully that communication will continue.

Along with the actual clean up, an even bigger change occurred in the neighborhood — they have learned how to get things done. The women of the Mesa del Mar Local Organizing Committee know this is just the beginning and they know they have shown their neighbors what can be done with a little cooperation.

The women have conducted a few meetings, are getting more people involved and have the ears of some city officials. They made some changes already, are planning more for the future and are on the right path to achieve their goals.

The group plans to have monthly meetings where they will discuss what issues they are concerned with and what they can do about it.

A main concern for Mission Mendoza residents is still traffic in the area — though talks with the city some improvements have been made. They are concerned too about giving their kids something to do after school.

The Shalimar area has addressed this problem and the residents at Mission Mendoza are looking for information from those in the know about the best way to keep their kids involved in positive activities.

Along with this group’s efforts, Foley is looking forward to other projects. Like I mentioned in a previous column, she is interested in having annual clean-up days throughout the city.

There will be a meeting to evaluate what went right and what can be done better next time. Foley said one thing they hope to add for next time is a contractor who can visit the site beforehand and decide what supplies will be needed.

About that next time, Foley is looking for input from residents about future “Clean Well Lighted Place Neighborhood Clean Up” efforts. If you have something in mind, e-mail Foley at [email protected].