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Councilman Greg Stanton's
Arcadia News Column
April 2002
Community Heroes: Barry and Joan Paceley
Some unsung heroes have emerged as a result of the roof rat problem, and they are the ones making a true difference. Barry and Joan Paceley are just two of the people making our community better. They have dedicated countless hours to the cause of controlling the roof rat population in Arcadia.
Because of their efforts and that of Arcadia residents, the city of Phoenix has collected nearly 1 million tons of citrus and debris since February in an effort to eliminate the food and nesting source for the roof rats. During the weekend of March 9 and 10, Barry and Joan helped coordinate more than 250 volunteers to help the elderly and disabled in Arcadia. The Arcadia Roof Rat Rally held March 9 and 10 at Arcadia High School was the staging point for this collaborated effort of volunteers. The Paceley's secured equipment, volunteers, citrus sorter and even provided
fresh-squeezed Arcadia citrus juice in return for a few hours of work gleaning citrus from the trees. Even before the rally, a hotline was established for residents in need to contact and receive assistance.
The tireless efforts of Arcadia residents are paying off. The fruit is being harvested and what can still be used has been donated to local food banks, homeless shelters and Native American communities throughout the state. Boy Scout troops are manning mobile storage units in the evenings and on weekends so residents can drop off usable citrus and moving companies are donating services by transporting boxes of citrus to the Navajo and Tohono O'Odham nations.
In February, the City Council approved emergency funding for the citrus cleanup, the neighbors in Arcadia are the true heroes. Everyone has pitched in and reminded us what community spirit really means. It is great to know that we are fortunate enough to have residents such as the Paceley's in our community. There are numerous people who have given freely of their time to assist with this effort and because of that, we are blessed. We are greatly indebted to Barry and Joan for their efforts in assisting us with this problem.
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