Friday, October 4: Residents in Mojave may have noticed some men cleaning and boarding up a distressed property on Inyo Street last Friday. This property, kitty-corner from the elementary school, on Inyo has been a dangerous invitation for drugs and crime for years, and finally it is secure. The two men were from Kern County’s Code Compliance department, which is preparing to launch a new campaign in Mojave. “We go anywhere they tell us” according to one of the men, who arrived earlier that day from Bakersfield. The Mojave Foundation is determined to clean up and secure these vacant properties, and eventually demolish these derelict structures, which present an immediate danger to public health and safety. We look forward to working closely with Code Compliance and applaud their efforts to make Mojave a safer, more attractive place to live.

On September 6, nine volunteers tore down an abandoned shack on a parcel of desert only 20 meters from Sierra Highway leading into Mojave. “This was the first thing people see when they come into town” said Dorothy Galton, who led Friday’s cleanup effort, “and sent the wrong message about Mojave.” According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the shack was built illegally over the last several months, and then abandoned when the occupant went to a larger city several weeks ago.

After several hours, it became clear that the project was far larger than volunteers had expected – having hauled 5 pickup truck loads to the dump, and paying the fees out of their own pocket. Completing this project would not have been possible without the support of MPC Printing in Mojave, who came to the rescue with a truck and trailer, and paid the remainder of the dump fees.

This cleanup is an example of what several highly-motivated volunteers can accomplish when inspired by the prospect of making real change in their community.  “It was a miracle!” said Mojave resident Joey Brown, “We started at 7 and were done by 10, and it was not an easy job. Everybody was trusting each other and communicating, and I was glad to be a part of something like that.”

The Mojave Foundation is committed to making Mojave a safer and more prosperous place to live where all our residents can take greater pride in their community. We like the spontaneous nature of projects like this because they are 100% grass-roots, and repeatable. We can apply this model of target-acquisition, planning, and rapid execution to other hazardous structures in Mojave. “This is just the beginning” said Galton. “We can do this all over town.”

On Sunday, August 25th, 10 volunteers from last week’s cleanup effort watched the ball game from the corporate suite at Jethawks stadium in Lancaster, compliments of the Mojave Air & Space Port (MASP). The airport donated the suite to all the volunteers and businesses who contributed to last week’s cleanup efforts, as a token of appreciation for the positive contributions to the community. On the weekend of August 17 these volunteers eliminated the single biggest drug & crime magnet in Mojave when they cleaned and boarded up an abandoned 10-unit apartment complex on K Street. “We all have to help each other out” said Dorothy Galton, who initiated last week’s cleanup efforts “and this is just the beginning”. The project could not have been sustainable without the contributions from Highway Glass, who boarded up the structure for free, and Karl’s Hardware, who donated the materials.

Donating the corporate suite to the volunteers was a good way for MASP to engage the community and show their appreciation for the positive efforts being made in Mojave. “These volunteers deserve credit for achieving results” said Karina Drees, the Assistant General Manager at MASP. The efforts must be catching on because home owners all over town are cleaning up their properties, particularly on K Street. On Friday, John Davis  even cleaned up the empty lot west of the Post Office on his own time. “I just like to do it”, said Davis, “I can do it quickly, and it makes me feel good.”

Saturday, August 17: Within 30 minutes of the last board going up on the apartment building cleaned up by local volunteers over the weekend, 3 men tried to pry open the boards and enter the building. But the neighbors apparently like the new look of the property, and immediately called the Sheriff’s Department. Within five minutes, four squad cars arrived on the scene, and one gave chase. Two suspects were temporarily detained, and the building has not been disturbed since.

We are starting to gather inertia behind these cleanup efforts, and it is encouraging that the neighbors are starting to take pride in their community. But the gains are fragile, and it’s important that we prevent the neighborhood from slipping back into disrepair. The Mojave Foundation intends to consolidate these gains through a campaign to reduce blight and improve the attractiveness of our community; but ultimately it’s the residents themselves that must take ownership of their own neighborhood. If you see a building that poses a health or safety risk to the community, let us know. If you see criminal activity in your neighborhood, call the Sheriff. Pride is a fragile thing, and we must nurture it at all costs. We cannot be silent anymore.