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Health & Fitness

Belmont Heights Community Will Sow and Reap

Belmont Heights community groups come together to make the neighborhood a better place

Have you recently driven down the stretch of Broadway between Park Avenue and Nieto? You probably noticed that the center medians, that some find a bit wide, are now landscaped and planted. There were no garden gnomes or elves at work late at night, but a group of community angels who came out early last Saturday morning to sow some goodwill in their own neighborhood. The previously weedy medians are now full of succulents, trees, Sea Statice and Kangaroo Paw plants surrounded by mulch that the city of Long Beach provided. (In case you don't know, the city Office of Sustainability was awarded a grant to make and deliver free mulch to any resident who requests it and it is a wonderful service!) 

My family and I went out to Broadway last Saturday to help out. The weather was slightly misty, which was perfect for planting. Streets had been closed off to make it safe for volunteers, and everyone was in high spirits. There were lots of other community members there too: Everybody from toddlers to CSULB Fraternities and Sororities were getting their hands dirty; Lowell Elementary School's principal Sam Platis was planting succulents; Studio 1-11's Michael Bohn--who helped nurture the entire project--was overseeing and working hard every step of the way; and Councilman DeLong's fabulous Administrative Analyst, Julie Maleki (who seems like she could calmly run the world) ran the snack and tool dispersal to make it all happen. This was truly a cooperative project that took collaboration by many different groups. The result is beautifully satisfying.

Yes, there have been naysayers to this project, and yes, the medians probably could have been slightly more narrow. But in the end, the traffic has noticeabley slowed, the neighborhood looks nicer and community members came together and worked on something tangible that will benefit everyone for a very long time to come. It is not often that an urban neighborhood can claim such a feel-good prize, but I am sure that everyone who has seen the medians, and everyone who worked on them, agrees that this has been a successful and productive project from start to finish. We can now reap what we have sown. 

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Thanks go to:

Belmont Heights and Shore Residents

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CSULB Fraternities - Pi Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Phi 

CSULB Sorority - Delta Gamma 

Councilmember DeLong's Office 

Studio 1-11 

Belmont Heights Community Association 

City Prosector's Office 

Lowell Elementary School 

St. Bart's Catholic Church 

Comerica Bank

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