SEAL BEACH : Rotary Club Adopts Part of Road to Clean

The Rotary Club will begin cleaning up a stretch of Seal Beach Boulevard on a regular basis in what city officials hope will be the first of several “adopt-a-road” programs sponsored by groups in the city.

The Rotary Club has taken responsibility for a roughly two-mile portion of the boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and the San Diego Freeway.

Rotary members and their families will periodically remove litter that collects along the roadway and on adjacent sidewalks.

City officials have hailed the effort, saying that it is an ideal way for local residents to help the cash-strapped city.

The road adoption could save the city as much as $2,000 a year, said Dennis Jue, Seal Beach’s city engineer. Normally, it would take a two-man city crew one day to remove trash from Seal Beach Boulevard.

The job is usually performed twice a year, Jue said.

“We were looking for an activity we could do that would make a contribution to the community,” said Fred Middaugh, a Seal Beach attorney and Rotary Club member.

“This seemed like something that would benefit the community.”

Councilman William J. Doane said that Leisure World residents have long complained about the papers, cans and other garbage that collect along a perimeter gate on Seal Beach Boulevard after heavy rains or wind.

Doane said he hopes the road adoption will result in the gate being cleaned more often.

The city is looking for service groups and businesses to adopt other major roads in Seal Beach, including Lampson Avenue and Westminster Boulevard.

The women’s adjunct of the Seal Beach Lions Club adopted some of Pacific Coast Highway in an agreement with the California Department of Transportation, which maintains the road.