VOLUNTEERS PITCH IN TO BEAUTIFY PACOIMA.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer PACOIMA - Hundreds of volunteers gathered in Pacoima on Saturday to paint and spruce up spruce up Verb [sprucing, spruced] to make neat and smart Verb 1. spruce up - make neat, smart, or trim; "Spruce up your house for Spring"; "titivate the child" 10 houses as part of the fourth annual neighborhood pride project sponsored by Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Neighborhood Housing Services. It was an afternoon of goodwill and good feelings both for the local residents and the hundreds of volunteers who came out to lend a hand to give assistance. to give assistance; to help. See also: Hand Lend . ``You can't underestimate what happens when people get involved with their communities,'' said Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. President Alex Padilla Alex Padilla is a politician in California. He was elected as the State Senator for the 20th District of California in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. In order to enter the Senate he had to resign as Councilman for the 7th District on the Los Angeles City , one of several government officials who
attended the event.
State Sen. Richard Alarcon, who was there painting a house, said a great deal of work remains. ``The project is a symbol really of the need to restore and rehabilitate neighborhoods,'' he said. The event is one of a handful that happen annually in various Los Angeles communities. Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services has restored three other nearby streets in past years. This year the efforts have extended to city- sponsored improvements to area street lighting, and new trees and grass along walkways. The benefits of such work go far beyond the physical changes made to the properties themselves, organizers say. There are also the feelings of pride, high spirits Noun 1. high spirits - a feeling of joy and pride lightness, elation joy, joyfulness, joyousness - the emotion of great happiness euphoria, euphory - a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation high spirits npl and unity experienced by the property owners. ``It's really good,'' homeowner Teresa Enciso said. ``I'm very happy. I like the way the house looks now.'' Many of the adult volunteers, including employees of a handful of banks that provide financing for low-income families looking to purchase a home, were glad to see the number of youths helping out at the event. ``They should do this every weekend, not just once a year,'' said 15- year-old Lakiesha McCollen of Palmdale, who came with her family. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Volunteers, above, paint the trim of a house on Louvre Louvre (l  `vrə), foremost French museum of art, located in Paris. The building was a royal fortress and palace built by Philip II in the late 12th cent. Street, one of 10 houses spruced up as part of the neighborhood pride
project. At left, Matthew Shojinaga paints a fence.
John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News |
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