Dave Alley
NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – A group of volunteers from the Rotary Club of Nipomo spent Thursday morning giving a portion of one of the community’s busiest roadways a fresh new look.
Several Rotary members gathered along W. Tefft Street near the intersection with Pomeroy Road to beautify three medians that separate traffic along the east-west corridor.
“As a community service organization, we wanted to beautify this median in the middle of Tefft Street west between the freeway and the park,” said Ken Whittle, Rotary Club member and project lead. “When there’s a need, we jump in and get things done.”
The project was organized as a way to enhance the appearance of the roadway and improve the overall look of the area, which sees hundreds of vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians pass through each day.
“We wanted to give it a better image, said Whittle. “Right now we want to project a good image for our town and this is one of the first things people see when they come to Nipomo, and so this is a project that was a high priority for the Rotary Club.”
For years prior to the cleanup, the long concrete barriers that divide the east-west traffic along the busy corridor were unsightly and unkept, creating an unpleasant visual for those who passed by them.
“This whole area was full of weeds,” said Barry Dunahoo, Rotary Club Member. “Earlier, we cleaned out all the weeds in the trash, put a pre-emergent down so they won’t grow back and today we’re spreading mulch down to cover the median and make it look good.”
Helping out with the cause was a local landscaping business, Troesh Coleman Pacific, which donated the ground cover materials used in the project.
“It means a lot,” said Debralee Coleman, Troesh Coleman Pacific co-owner. “I think it means a lot to the community to drive down Tefft Street and not see the weeds and to make it look beautiful, so any way that we can help, we enjoy helping the community. I think it’s awesome. I think this is what the community is all about. The communit working and helping each other out.”
Rotary members said the effort is another example of the club’s commitment to giving back to the community through hands-on service.
The official motto for the international organization is “Service Above Self,” which was officially adopted in 1959 because it best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.
“This is definitely an example,” said Dunahoo. “We are not being paid for this, needless to say. We all volunteered to do this. I love it. I’ve been a Rotarian for over 20 years now and done all kinds of projects all over Nipomo. We built a snack bar stand at the high school. We built the gazebo in Nipomo Regional Park and it’s great. I love helping our community.”
With the Tefft Street project now complete, club members hope to take on similar beautification and improvement projects throughout Nipomo in the future.
Whittle said the club is seeking any new ideas and suggestions from community members.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
Click here to follow the original article.
