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Cannon, Clovis clean up Highway 60/84

  • Published
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Airmen from Cannon have teamed up with a group of volunteers from Clovis, N.M., and the New Mexico State Highway Department to clean up a portion of Highway 60/84.

This ambitious project will include cutting down old trees and shrubs, removing abandoned or broken down vehicles, and cleaning up the private properties along the four-mile stretch of road between the Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., off-ramp and Wheaton Street in Clovis.

When community leaders approached the 27th Special Operations Wing for assistance in this endeavor, Cannon's Air Commandos were eager to help.

"Wednesday, May 8, was the first day we asked for a few volunteers, and in typical Cannon fashion we got more base volunteers than we could have hoped for," said Stacey Martin, Clovis lead organizer for the effort. "I have been involved in many community events in the past few years where I was fortunate to work side by side with volunteers from Cannon. It was no surprise to me to see the best and brightest America has to offer show up early with a 'can do' attitude ready and committed to making something good happen."

More than 50 Airmen showed up during our first two days on the job, said Lt. Col. Joyce Storm, 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron commander and project lead at Cannon. The plan is to work Monday through Thursday for about 10 hours a day over the next several months.

Cannon will continue to provide the primary source of manpower during the project. Once complete, approximately 500 trees will be removed and nearly 90 properties will be cleaned, cleared and painted, according to Storm.

Such projects can be overwhelming for any property owner. The group's offer to help spruce up the area has been gratefully accepted by the community.

"We want to help remove the old 'Trail of Tears' moniker this stretch of road has been labeled with," said Storm. "As proud members of this community, the men and women of Cannon are happy to contribute to a project that is aimed at improving our city."

While this is only the beginning of the clean-up effort, it has started off strong.

"We have accomplished a lot so far this week and, as always, I am so proud to get to work with the outstanding folks at Cannon," said Martin.