[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 1997

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your 
attention the fine work and outstanding public service of thousands of 
committed citizens in Calfiornia's 40th Congressional District. San 
Bernardino County, the largest county in the continental United States 
make a difference on October 26, 1996, with an ambitious project 
entitled, ``Community Cleanup: Our Fight Against Blight.'' For this 
ambitious undertaking, the San Bernardino Make a Difference Day project 
was recently chosen as one of the top 10 national winners by USA 
Weekend Magazine and a panel of celebrity judges. This tremendous 
effort will be recognized at a luncheon on May 1 recognizing 
outstanding achievements during national Make a Difference Day.
  The San Bernardino Make a Difference project was launched at a time 
when the local newspaper, the San Bernardino County Sun, ran a series 
of well-written articles addressing the issue of blight in the local 
community. The result was a countywide effort undertaken on national 
Make a Difference Day. The remarkable effort to undertake a community 
cleanup was spearheaded by the city of San Bernardino and Mayor Tom 
Minor in a collaborative effort with Norcal/San Bernardino, San 
Bernardino County, Arrowhead United Way, the Volunteer Center, and the 
San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-four cities in San 
Bernardino County embraced the concept with proclamations and letters 
of support from local mayors. Twenty-two community newspapers and five 
radio stations promoted the project with public service announcements 
and press releases. To encourage citizen participation, 16 country 
landfills were open free of charge to residents on October 26. The 
result was more than 3.5 thousand tons of trash, including 5,000 tires, 
deposited at county landfills.
  In addition to the many county residents who participated, about 130 
volunteers worked on 10 other related projects. Paul Chaney, a private 
business owner, with the assistance of other volunteers from the 
Children's Fund and the Volunteer Center, picked up trash along a 2-
mile stretch of Little Mountain. Employees of Raintree Insurance Co. 
and a youth group from the Nazarene Church painted graffiti in various 
sections of San Bernardino. While a Girl Scout troop cleaned up a local 
creek and filed a commercial dump truck, members of Los Padrinos 
cleaned, trimmed, weeded, and hauled away trash for elderly citizens. 
Thirteen neighborhood association groups in San Bernardino also picked 
up trash and painted graffiti in and around their neighborhoods.
  Mr. Speaker, this remarkable effort is 1 of 11 chosen from over one 
million participants nationwide joining in national Make a Difference 
Day. The many fine people of San Bernardino County have made a 
difference, and will continue to make a difference, to improve the 
quality of life for our citizens. I am extremely proud of this effort 
and it is only fitting that House of Representatives recognize this 
achievement today.

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