LV Monthly Community Clean-up Resumes
Also, Spotlight on LV Resident, Noli Zosa
LINDA VISTA MONTHLY CLEAN-UP RESUMES
Volunteers ready for action
Sunday morning may sound like a tough time of day to expect a team of volunteers to show up and offer to pick up trash, but that’s exactly what occurred yesterday as approximately 40 local residents reported outside the Linda Vista library to enthusiastically participate in the monthly Linda Vista Community Clean-up. From 10:00 to 11:30 am, these volunteers took to the streets comprising the heart of Linda Vista, armed with trash grabbers and bags, to help make the community a better place.
The LV Community Clean-up takes place the first Sunday of each month. This month’s Clean-up, sponsored by the Bayside Community Center, and coordinated by long-time Bayside volunteer Tomasa Ruiz, served as a resumption of a 5 year-long tradition that recently went on a three-month hiatus due to the current pandemic.
Upon checking in, each mask-wearing volunteer had their temperature checked for safety/health purposes, and were then issued a yellow safety vest, a trash grabber and trash bag. They were also provided with a pedometer to measure how far they walked in the process of picking up trash.
Bayside Community Advocate Tomasa Ruiz
Teams of approximately six volunteers each then set out on their quest to walk the streets of downtown Linda Vista and eliminate the streets and sidewalks of unwanted debris.
Although the weather was already warming up, and the mandatory anti-virus masks made everyone feel warmer, the volunteers worked hard at picking up whatever trash they encountered.
As Ruiz noted, “We usually get about 10 volunteers, but today we have people from Francis Parker School and from church groups. It’s a really good turn-out.”
Ruiz, who has volunteered at Bayside for over 10 years, started the Community Clean-up 5 years ago after attending Bayside’s LV Leaders in Action — a group of graduates from the Resident Leadership Academy and community volunteers — who meet monthly to plan and execute community improvement projects, like these cleanups.
Ruiz commented, “I want to invite Linda Vista families to participate in future Clean-ups so that the little ones can learn to put trash in the right place.”
Volunteer check-in next to Linda Vista library
This month’s Clean-up was conducted in conjunction with California Clean Air Day, which officially occurs on October 7. According to the California Clean Air Day web site, “California Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to action to improve our community health. By joining together for a unified day of action we can create new habits to clear the air for all members of California’s diverse communities.”
If you are looking for that perfect community service opportunity, next month’s Clean-up will take place on November 1, from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Just look for the check-in desk in front of the Linda Vista library.
Motivated volunteers make their way through Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center on a warm Sunday morning.
SPOTLIGHT ON LINDA VISTA RESIDENT
LV resident Noli Zosa
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of interviews we recently conducted with Linda Vista residents. We are hoping the interviews provide our readers with an insight regarding what residents deem important about their LV community.
Today’s interview is with long-time Linda Vista resident Noli Zosa. A partner in the ownership of the San Diego restaurant chain Dirty Birds, and a member of several local civic organizations, he is currently running as a candidate for the District 7 city council seat.
What would you like to see happen in Linda Vista during the next couple years?
I would like to see an increased Skate World presence. I want to see that it stays in Linda Vista and that its historic structure stays open and useful for the community. This could possibly include an LV extension of the Mission Valley YMCA in order to address our underserved population. It might also involve other options like a bowling alley, family restaurants, or a place for gamers. It’s a matter of finding the right fit of businesses for Linda Vista.
I would like to see an increase in the number of Linda Vista food options, so that residents don’t have to go outside of this community to enjoy diverse cuisines.
Beautifying Ulric Street is another priority. This effort would involve getting rid of weeds and bare spots to make one of Linda Vista’s main routes look more attractive.
Finally, I would like to see a continuation in the University of San Diego’s partnership and cooperation with Linda Vista businesses and the overall community. So far, we’ve been able to have USD’s campus cash cards accepted at the local Farmers’ Market. I want to see USD students have more reasons for spending their time in Linda Vista. When they exit the USD campus, I eventually want them to turn left and drive up the hill to see what Linda Vista has to offer.
Do you have a favorite Linda Vista memory?
I have a few, but one in particular goes back 22 years, to a time when I was mediating disputes at the Bayside Community Center. There was a couple who had a child. I served as a mediator and successfully put together a child custody agreement that allowed everyone to work together.
Another memory is from the first time I served as the head of the Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Parade, back in 2015. It was an incredibly rewarding experience putting it all together and then seeing the final product.
You have some free time to spend in Linda Vista. How would you like to spend it?
First, I would visit the Linda Vista Skateboard Park to watch the skaters—the young ones and the old ones. I really like standing on the bridge and observing all the wonders of the Skateboard Park. The Skateboard Park has been such a blessing for the community. I would follow that by eating at K Sandwiches or at Sab-E-Lee. Then, I would walk around the University of San Diego campus. It is so incredibly beautiful, and the vistas are breathtaking. Finally, I would end up skating at Skate World.
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Noli for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in this interview.
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