NorthWest Crossing Volunteer Team Participates in Bend Beautification Program

NorthWest Crossing, Central Oregon’s largest mixed-use community, has come together to work on the beautification of Mt. Washington Drive, a main traffic route on Bend, Oregon’s west side. A group of volunteers, led by NorthWest Crossing resident and Master Gardener Ruth Zdanowicz, will be working on August 22nd to clean up the median between Skyliner Drive to Shevlin Park Drive. A team of residents has already spent morning hours cleaning and weeding NW Crossing Drive, Labiche Drive and the Sphere roundabout within the neighborhood.

Zdanowicz said, "Weeds rob native plants, crops and ornamental landscape plants of necessary nutrients and water. Also, they can eliminate the needed forage and habitat for wildlife, nectar, and food for migrating birds and butterflies. By taking care of weeds in our immediate neighborhoods, we then have a process to keep weeds from entering public and other private land as well."

The Bend Beautification Program is an opportunity for volunteers to improve the aesthetics of Bend Oregon by adopting a stretch of road or a plot of land and improving its appearance through litter pickup, weeding and sometimes, planting new vegetation. This program allows service clubs, private individuals, church groups, Neighborhood Associations, private businesses and other groups an opportunity to help remove roadside litter and noxious weeds and provide landscape maintenance.

"The hard work that NorthWest Crossing and its surrounding neighborhood group has put into our program already is amazing," said Cheryl Howard, who coordinates the program for the City of Bend. "The dedicated stewardship shown to their neighborhood should make us all happy to be a part of our community. We are pleased to have this group as part of the Bend Beautification team."

Those who wish to volunteer for the August 22nd clean up date, which is being organized in partnership with the Summit West Neighborhood Association, can contact Ruth Zdanowicz by email. For more information on the program in general, visit

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