The annual act of “spring cleaning” involves thoroughly cleaning one’s house, but it can apply to other spaces too. That is what will be happening to the neighborhoods of Long Beach this month. On May 1, Mayor Rex Richardson announced a city-wide cleaning initiative to beautify local areas, spurring nonprofit organizations, small neighborhood groups and businesses to organize clean-ups around the city.
“If we care about our city, if we care about neighborhoods, then we have to step up,” said Mayor Rex Richardson, according to an article from the Long Beach Post.
This clean-up takes place throughout the month of May. Neighborhood associations, small businesses, community organizations, and even students are encouraged to fill out a form on the Long Beach website to help fill up the calendar of clean-up events. So far, some clean-ups that have already happened are a mattress recycling event on May 4, and the weed-pulling and trash pick-up on Pacific Ave. on May 5. These events are not to be confused with individual small-scale yard or garage sales.
The act of sp
ring cleaning goes back farther than you might expect. According to National Geographic, “One of the earliest known references to spring cleaning is found in the Jewish tradition of Passover.” Another cultural event taking place in spring is the Lunar New Year. “Before the Lunar New Year, it’s common to cleanse the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as ‘sweeping the dust,’ cleaning makes way for the new year’s good luck and prosperity.” People of different cultures have their own way of cleaning up around Springtime in order to make a change in their community.
“I think it’s a really good idea to have this for the city, because sometimes throughout the city you walk and pass one street and then the next street there’s a lot of trash. Some areas of the city don’t look as nice or as well kept as other areas” says QUEST science teacher Mrs. McDougall, who has participated in clean-ups in the past. “I think it’s a really good idea to have an event like this and to get the community involved to start to take pride in their neighborhood.”
To help clean up our city, students can volunteer for service hours with organizations like the SurfRider foundation anytime, or organize a clean up of their own. The last cleanup took place in Santa Fe Ave. on the 31 of May.
