Local Couple Honored for Dedicating Over 30 Years to Cleaning Up Community Median

Today, the Solid Waste Management Department (SMWD) honored a local Albuquerque couple for dedicating over 30 years of volunteer service to keep our city clean and beautiful. Susan Diltz and her husband Jeff Gittelman have kept the Amherst Green median near Lomas and Carlisle sparkling clean and beautifully landscaped for decades.

“It’s people like Susan and Jeff who truly embody what One Albuquerque means, stated Matthew Whelan, Director of the Solid Waste Management Department. “It’s about all of us working together to keep our city vibrant, clean, and safe for all who live here.”

Four years ago, SWMD and Keep Albuquerque Beautiful took over management of the Adopt-A-Median program from the Parks and Recreation Department. The Adopt-A-Median program is an important supplement to the work of city crews. SWMD workers maintain over 600 acres of medians on main thoroughfares throughout the city. More than 130 staff work daily to clean and maintain the landscape and irrigation systems.

Like Susie and Jeff, Adopt-A-Median volunteers provide much needed extra assistance to SWMD’s rigorous median maintenance plan. The main goal and need for volunteers is to work on a monthly basis to keep medians free of litter and trash. Volunteer groups or businesses also submit a monthly checklist that provides insight into any issues they come across when cleaning the median.

To participate, volunteer groups or businesses must be willing to commit two years to the program. Residents, businesses, and other civic groups can adopt any median that the city currently maintains. Volunteers are recognized by signage at the median they adopt.

If your group or business is interested in adopting a median please call 761-8334 or visit keepalbuquerquebeautiful.com.