The success of that cleanup led the workers to plan more throughout 2000, when they focused on the area between Interstates 5 and 805. This year, the focus is Otay Valley Road, east of I-805 up to Heritage Road. It's hard work over treacherous ground dotted with poison ivy, snakes and the makeshift latrines of the hundreds who have called the riverbanks home. Oh, man, do they start swearing. The work is considered so dangerous that Willett prefers it being left to the crews from the Donovan prison, rather than to community volunteers without the proper clothing and equipment.
Most residents stay away.
It's not glamorous. Willett, a retired Navy lieutenant commander, is a frequent contributor to South Bay causes and will be honored this month as volunteer of the year for San Diego county parks. Most of the people do things because of the force of John's personality. Willett helped persuade numerous agencies to donate services to the cleanup. Most important, he said, are the deals with trash and hauling services such as Allied Waste Industries, Pacific Waste Services and Hansen Aggregates, all of San Diego, which have hauled and handled trash free of charge.