Saturday morning Oct.24th from 7:30 – 11:00 am Channelview Health & Improvement Coalition (C .H.I.C.) members and other community members conducted C.H.I.C.’s second Channelview Community Cleanup concentrating their efforts in the Sheldon Rd. area from I-10 to the railroad tracks just past Avenue C.
Participants broke into groups, some picking up and removing the trash and debris from the roadside and medians throughout the targeted area while others trimmed the trees, shrubs and overgrowth from the medians to eliminate the obstructed view and to provide a more manicured appearance to the medians; a nicety that has long been missing in Channelview.
This second cleanup effort was conducted in partnership with Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s office and the organization Keep Houston Beautiful. Precinct 2 provided personnel, equipment and trucks and trailers while Keep Houston Beautiful provided lawn tools, safety vests and gloves for those participants who did not bring their own. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 2 Liaison Deputy Tommy Berry kept a watchful eye over everyone ensuring a safe work environment despite the high traffic area the cleanup was being conducted in.
Saturday’s cleanup was a true example of what can be accomplished when local community groups and residents work together with receptive governing agencies and other adjoining and supportive communities and groups. Pct. 2 Community Liaison, C.H.I.C. member and Channelview resident, Cindy Miller was critical in relaying the goals of the community and project to Pct. 2 and in coordinating county, C.H.I.C. and cleanup meetings and requirements and with community and business outreach ahead of the cleanup and in her participation efforts removing overgrowth from the cracks, crevices and edges of the roadside and median concrete. Nelson Espitia Pct. 2 Community Relations Director worked shoulder to shoulder with the participants removing the trash and debris during the cleanup and was also instrumental in ensuring Pct. 2’s support in the availability of Road and Bridge and Parks Dept. equipment and personnel during the cleanup and for future planning. Road and Bridge personnel worked alongside community participants utilizing pole saws to speed limb and brush removal and immediate removal of brush from the areas while “Ponce” Aldaco Ponciano with the Parks Dept. was on hand to consult with C.H.I.C. members regarding Saturday’s and future projects needs and goals in addition to his help in the brush removal.
CISD Superintendent Greg Ollis and his students from the Rotary INTERACT group and DeZavala Elementary Principal Ruben Rodriguez worked diligently on trash removal. Also aiding in the cleanup was Danny Watts with SterlingWood Church and Kristina Zatpek and Luz Lopez from the Cloverleaf/Northshore area who attacked the brush clearing and tree trimmings. All these participants working together allowed for a much larger area to be addressed in the same amount of time as spent during the first cleanup and a greater improvement to the area.
C.H.I.C.’s first Community Cleanup was held the morning of Saturday Sept. 19 on the south end of Sheldon Rd. from Market St. to I-10 at McDonald’s. This cleanup effort was conducted strictly by C.H.I.C. members and a few other Channelview residents utilizing their personal tools each participant brought with them to the cleanup. Participants of this cleanup worked hard and made a noticeable improvement, but ran out of time to complete trimming the full area. This first effort proved to be a learning experience for planned future cleanups and a notice to Commissioner Garcia’s Pct. 2 office Channelview residents were willing to take the initiative to achieve our desired improvements to our community. Pct. 2 responded to September’s first effort by removing the piles of limbs removed from the trees and completing the median edging that had been begun by the cleanup community participants and by partnering with CH.I.C. for the planned future cleanup necessary to cleanup Channelview as a whole.
Due to the enormity of the scope of entire project, Project has been broken down into 4 phases based on major thoroughfares in Channelview: Phase 1: Sheldon Road – Market St. to Wallisville Rd. Phase 2: Dell Dale Avenue – Market St. to Wallisville Rd. Phase 3: Woodforest Boulevard – Sheldon Rd. to Beltway 8. Phase 4: Wallisville Road – Sheldon Rd. to Beltway 8. Each Phase may take multiple cleanup days. C.H.I.C. members were joined by others. If you would like to participate in future cleanup activities or learn more about C.H.I.C. or become a member please email Carolyn Stone at Channelview Health & Improvement Coalition (C .H.I.C.) at C.H.I.C.77530@gmail.com.