Mr. & Mrs. Lingo - A Commitment to Community
Mr. & Mrs. Lingo were honored at the Jan. 11 City Council meeting for their excellence in service.
Nearly every day at the Pleasanton River Park, Mr. and Mrs. Lingo have quietly become local legends. Since November 20, 2021, this couple has been devotedly picking up trash as volunteers, transforming their daily walks into a mission for a cleaner, more vibrant parks community.
The Lingos initially started their walks in the park to address health concerns. Little did they know that their strolls would evolve into a daily routine of picking up litter. Mrs. Lingo shared, "It started about a week after we began walking. We noticed people walking and then noticed some litter.” She went on to explain that seeing the litter made her husband not want to return. Soon after, she found a trash picker at the local hardware store and had the idea that they would return and use their time of exercise to pick the litter up themselves. “I bought it, and told him he didn’t have an excuse not to walk now.” she said, laughingly.
Mr. Lingo commended the City Council, City of Pleasanton, and City workers for creating a beautiful space for the public to enjoy. Mr. Lingo explained, “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea. We see the parks crew out here every day working hard to maintain the park. We know most of the crew by name now, but sometimes trash gets left by our community. It happens.” Mr. Lingo, who spent his entire career working for the railroad before retiring, shared, “We try to do it every day, but sometimes we have doctors' appointments.” Despite the occasional interruptions, they still manage to average an impressive two hours a day on park cleanup.
The Lingos' impact is nothing short of extraordinary. Over the past year, they have collected a staggering 491 bags of trash, proving that small daily efforts can lead to significant community change. Mr. Lingo emphasized the crucial role ordinary citizens play in keeping our city park and shared spaces clean for all generations. Mrs. Lingo added, "We have grandkids who love coming to the park. When they visit, we always bring them here.”
Parks Superintendent, Justin Menchaca, expressed his gratitude for the Lingos' commitment. He acknowledged the vital role citizens play in maintaining a clean and thriving parks community, further emphasizing the important need for collaboration between residents and local government. When asked, Menchaca said, “The Lingos’ are great representatives for starting the foundation for people in our community to appreciate and take pride in our park. To be able to come out multiple days throughout the week is such an inspiration. I hope that through the continuous commitment from Lingos’ can inspire others to look after their park and value the benefits that it has to offer.”