— By Teri Walker
Holbrook City Councilman Bobby Tyler continues to lead the charge in inviting community members to take pride in their community and get to know their neighbors by working together to clean up neighborhoods, and helping those who are unable to care for their properties. With the Sept. 10 and Nov. 5 Neighbors Helping Neighbors events, Tyler hopes to get the whole community involved.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, members of community organizations, churches, and youth groups and individuals will meet at 8 a.m. on the lawn of the old Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook to kick off a community clean up event that will concentrate primarily on preparing the downtown area and neighborhoods surrounding the Navajo County Fairgrounds for the upcoming county fair, which will be held Sept. 14 to 18.
“We’ve had great success with our first neighborhood clean up event on McLaws Road. Now we want the whole community to get involved in getting Holbrook ready for the county fair,” said Tyler.
Tyler noted that the purpose of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors events is not only to spruce up neighborhoods, but also to provide opportunities for neighbors to get to know one another, fostering closer relationships among community members.
To that end, Tyler, along with community businessmen Vince Farr and Myron Maxwell, is rallying participation from groups and individuals across the community, inviting them to gather people together, choose a project, and plan to go to work on Sept. 10 and Nov. 5.
Farr attended a recent city council meeting, asking for support of the clean up events, and asking if the city had priority areas it would like to see addressed.
City Manager Ray Alley offered to provide roll-off dumpsters at project sites for both events, and committed to organizing city staff hands-on participation in the Nov. 5 event.
Alley also reiterated the city’s request for citizens to clean up weeds in the alleys and sidewalk areas near their homes, and said the city can haul away the weeds, along with any other clippings and green waste residents clean up from their yards, for dumping at the transfer station or burning, free of charge. Alley also said city residents can go to city hall at 465 First Ave. to pick up free weed killer and sprayers from the city for use on properties within city limits.
Groups or neighborhoods interested in participating in the upcoming clean up projects, or organizing a project of their own, may contact city hall for a suggested project list and to coordinate use of a city dumpster. People are welcome to select their own project locations; the city project list is simply available for those who are looking for potential project areas.
Tyler requests that those who plan to participate in the Neighbors Helping Neighbors events in September and November contact city hall with the date and location of their projects, so the city can plan for distribution of dumpsters.
Alley reminds that no hazardous materials or tires may be disposed of in the city dumpsters, and asks that each participating organization assign someone to monitor dumping stations.
While the Sept. 10 event is focused on general community clean up in anticipation of the county fair, the Nov. 5 event will be focused on serving the ill and the elderly, who are unable to care for their properties.
A barbecue will be held at the end of each Neighbors Helping Neighbors event; details about the barbecues will be forthcoming.
To sign up for the clean up events or for more information, go to city hall, or call Councilman Tyler at (928) 241-0450 or (623) 236-5312.
