Wasco Task Force takes action with cleanup

The Wasco Task Force, led by Mayor Pro Tem Valentin Medina and Councilmember Eddie Saldaña, alongside dedicated community members Ruby Gutierrez, John Pallares and Orquidea Ocampo, is on a mission to engage the community on matters that are important to residents.

"One of them is keeping Wasco clean, including keeping the streets free of tagging and any other issues that might be important to community members. We welcome all community members to attend our monthly meetings to really engage and address issues that are dear and near to their hearts that we can focus on and build on this momentum we have created so far."

Central to the task force's efforts have been its community cleanups, which have been hosted monthly since April. "We have chosen to focus on areas based on community suggestions. These areas have often been overlooked, such as alleys, empty lots and areas usually accumulating a lot of trash over time," Medina said.

Meetings are held the last Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the old courthouse building on 8th Street. "Our next meeting is on July 25, and we will decide where the cleanup location will be for August."

Medina said that he is grateful for the support of the city. "Public Works has been an important part of making our clean-ups a success, but aside from that they have also been very responsive to some of the bigger issues where there have been problem areas in regard to trash, such as what was piled on the side of the museum and they have also been instrumental in cleaning up graffiti around town."

Saldaña commented about the volunteers' contributions: "They have been amazing, showing up with great energy and dedication for the community cleanups. Their willingness to donate their time has made a huge difference in making our neighborhoods cleaner and nicer for everyone."

"It takes a lot of effort for people to get up early in the morning, and they just do it. It's a good feeling because it's for their community. We will keep pushing and counting on more people's participation."

The clean-ups are scheduled to continue monthly, with the next one set for Aug. 10. "We will also plan on our partnerships with the city on the major cleanups that are hosted twice a year, with the future one coming up in October."

"The last major cleanup event hosted by the city in March at Barker Park had the highest number of volunteers I've seen, and we really hope that with the Wasco Task Force engagement, we will be able to bring even more volunteers for the clean-up scheduled in October."

Those interested in the cleanups or the Wasco Task Force may contact Medina by phone or text at 661-567-2514.