The city of Ceres will conduct its first community cleanup, as part of the Take Pride in Ceres program, on Saturday. The city will target Herndon Road, from Whitmore to Hatch, because of its "horrific appearance," said Art deWerk, director of Public Safety.

"It's a real eyesore for the community," said deWerk.

Herndon is well-traveled and accumulates a lot of trash, probably because of its low public visibility and proximity to Highway 99. The chain-link fence and oleander buffer that separate Highway 99 and Herndon also acts as a net, allowing trash to pile up.

City employees, in partnership with Caltrans, Bertolotti Ceres Disposal and community groups and volunteers, will tackle the 1.25-mile stretch. Caltrans will conduct a cleanup of the highway side this week in preparation for the city's event. Bertolotti will supply trash containers and the city will provide traffic control, as well as lunch for volunteers.

The cleanup is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are being coordinated through Community Relations Officer Enrique Perez at 538-5735.

"We intend to do more of these," said deWerk.

Clean-ups, he said, make a statement about the priorities set by the council for a more aesthetic and vibrant community.