8-09-2021 3:41am

AlamogordoTownNews.com - A City Commissioner Sharon McDonald Takes Action & Gets It Right

Chris Edwards Editor

AlamogordoTownNews.com can be critical of elected officials and a lack of citizen engagement at the local level but when we see and hear of leaders actually showing leadership, rolling up their sleeves and digging in to make the community a better place we will certainly highlight those endeavors.

Alamogordo City Commissioner for District 5 is one such leader who gets her hands dirty and digs in to clean up her district. We have been critical of those in leadership who see blight and trash within their district and ignore it. Mrs. McDonald is one who put forth a plan, took action and in partnership with the community within her district she is showing results.

How did she do it? Commissioner Sharon McDonald hosted the District 5 Neighborhood Clean-Up Initiative July 23 and 24 on the corner of Fifth Street and South Florida Avenue. The event goal was to bring the community together and renew a sense of coming together in diverse unity with services that would help with cleaning and revitalizing the district. The event offered lawn mowing, cutting weeds, removing trash from properties, shredding from Total Destruction and large dumpsters were available for people dump trash.t

The services were offered for free to elderly, disabled, retired or those too ill to do these tasks. Around 15 people showed up as community volunteers each day of the two day event.

The dumpsters were provided by the City of Alamogordo.

Alamogordo District 5 is the City's largest district in acreage or land mass, running from Alamogordo's southern border with Boles Acres to North White Sands Boulevard including a section of Canal Street. The district also includes the area between First Street and 10th Street between Cuba Avenue and the Charlie Lee Memorial Relief Route.

This effort showed a courage in leadership by Ms. McDonald in organizing the cleanup and was an example that the other commissioners and those in county leadership can and should learn from. Good job Mrs. McDonald, kudos for leadership by actions!