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CITIZENS INVOLVEDMEANS BETTER LIVING |
Citizens Involved Means Better Living, or CIMBL, has begun offering two $500 scholarships each to graduating seniors of both Del Oro High School and Lincoln High. The Hal Albertsen Scholarship Fund, named after CIMBL's founder, is being funded through private contributions and in the case of Del Oro, though a grant obtained on CIMBL's behalf by the Town of Loomis.
" We're proud to offer assistance to graduating seniors of these schools who show pride in their communities," stated Dave Albright, CIMBL's executive Director. "Community involvement and pride in ones community were so important to Hal," Albright said.
CIMBL volunteers have been showing pride in their communities throughout Placer County for over 10 years now. CIMBL has removed over 23,000 bags of trash and over 1,800 tires and countless appliances and pieces of furniture from the counties scenic roadways during those years.
In the last few years, CIMBL has been taking a more proactive approach to the litter problem by supporting other groups of all types in their efforts to clean their communites by offering equipment, bags, safety vest and logistical support. They have also created an educational program in the Town of Loomis at the two K-8 schools, as well as supplying these schools with equipment to help and encourage the students to keep their campuses litter free.
Information on CIMBL can be found at www.CIMBL.org or by calling Dave Albright at (916)652-2135.
Applications can be obtained at the counceling offices of both schools.
Deadlines for applications to be turned in to the schools or mailed to CIMBL is Thursday, April 6, 2006
Harold Lawrence Albertsen
Obituary: Harold Albertsen went extra mile for rural Placer County
By Art Campos -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, August 10, 2004
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Harold Lawrence "Hal" Albertsen loved the beauty of rural Placer County and couldn't stand to see trash lying on the side of the roads.
"He would just get upset, and he decided he was going to do something about it," said his wife, Judie.
In 1994, Mr. Albertsen, a Newcastle resident, formed a volunteer group to pick up roadside trash. The group, Citizens Involved Means Better Living, or CIMBL, has won numerous local and state awards.
On July 29, CIMBL lost its leader when Mr. Albertsen died of emphysema. He was 73.
In the 10 years Mr. Albertsen was CIMBL's chairman, the group covered 3,000 miles of roads and picked up 22,000 bags of trash and 1,821 discarded tires.
"I never met a harder-working community activist," said Anita Yoder, a spokeswoman for Placer County. "He cared so much, and he gave so much of himself."
David Albright, CIMBL's vice chairman, said Mr. Albertsen was a strong believer in volunteerism.
"His biggest nemesis was apathy in the community," Albright said. "To him, it wasn't acceptable not to go out and volunteer."
Albright said CIMBL will continue to carry out the work that Mr. Albertsen began.
The group will pick up trash Saturday along Virginiatown Road in rural Lincoln - the first road Mr. Albertsen covered when he formed CIMBL - and then hold a party to celebrate a decade of the group's work. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at Fowler Nursery at Fowler Road and Highway 193, and the party will begin there at 11 a.m.
Judie Albertsen said that when her husband put an ad in the Lincoln newspaper for the first cleanup, he got six volunteers.
Since then, hundreds of citizens have participated in the cleanups, which are held twice a month. About 20 people come out for each effort, said Judie Albertsen.
At times, the group becomes much larger because Lincoln High School students join to get extra credit.
In recent years, Mr. Albertsen had earned lofty honors, receiving a commemorative gold coin for his work from the Placer County Board of Supervisors and being chosen a volunteer of the year for environmental work by then-California first lady, Gayle Wilson.
Mr. Albertsen was born in Contra Costa County and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
When he returned, he worked for Aerojet in Danville and then for Contra Costa County as a tax appraiser, his wife said.
After retiring and moving to Placer County, he served on the county Assessment Appeals Board and was a member of the Lincoln Lions Club and Placer County Navy League.
His wife described him as outgoing and helpful.
"He loved people. He cared about them," she said.
Albright said Mr. Albertsen had a knack for remembering people's faces and names.
"He was amazing," Albright said. "A kid from one of the high school groups could show up for a cleanup after not being there for a couple of years and Hal would know his name."
Albright said Mr. Albertsen has left an incredible legacy.
"The one thing about these cleanup efforts is that it tells me that one person can make a difference in the community," he said.
"We all moved out to rural Placer County because it's beautiful out here. And we want to keep it that way. Hal felt that if the community caused a problem such as littering, the community should fix it, rather than call on a governmental agency to take care of it."
Courtesy of the Auburn Journal Online
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Ultra-volunteer remembered for trash pickup
By Erin Gallup-Main
Journal Staff Writer
Eight days before the 10th anniversary of Citizens Involved Means Better Living, the grassroots organization's founder passed away due to complications from emphysema.
Auburn Mayor Cheryl Maki and Placer County spokeswoman Anita Yoder both said the numerously awarded volunteer, Harold "Hal" Lawrence Albertsen, who died July 29, will be missed by many.
"Hal worked harder to provide services to the community than anybody I've ever met," Yoder said. "He tried everything he could think of to expand the work of the volunteers in CIMBL, which is, if you think about it, is a very difficult job cleaning the roads and picking up after other people."
Since Albertsen founded CIMBL on Aug. 6, 1994, hundreds of volunteers have covered 3,000 miles of Placer County roads and removed 22,000 bags of trash and almost 2,000 tires.
Albertsen's wife, Judie, said although her husband was bedridden since March, he called Lincoln Florist and ordered her a dozen roses for their 22nd wedding anniversary on July 10. The member of the Placer County Navy League also turned 73 on July 9.
"He was very outgoing," Judie Albertsen said from their country home Sunday. "He loved people and loved to joke and kid around. He was always very thoughtful of other people."
Dave Albright said he promised Hal Albertsen that he would keep CIMBL running after Albertsen's death.
"Hal was just a guy who originally put an advertisement in the paper saying he was going to pick up trash on Virginiatown Road. Twelve people showed up and they just kept doing it," Albright said. "I tell people, 'One person really can make a difference.' Hal proved that by starting a grass roots organization."
As the head of the organization, the Albertsens received commendations from the Mayor of Auburn, Placer County and other organizations.
Albertsen retired from Contra Costa County as an appraiser in 1989. After the Albertsens moved to a county home between Lincoln and Newcastle in 1989, he joined the Placer County Board of Assessment Appeals. Judie Albertsen said he retired from that in the late 1990s.
Although the published poet was a member of the Lincoln Lions Club for a while, Albright said the community activist spent most of his time working with CIMBL.
"If you got the opportunity to talk to him, right after 'Hi' was 'Have you heard of CIMBL?' Next thing you knew he was shaking your hand and you had signed up," Albright said. "His enthusiasm for community service was infectious. By the time you got through talking with him you were saying, 'Yeah, I should … ' and the next thing you knew you were on the board of directors and starting a new chapter in your town."
Yoder described Albertsen as a persistent, driven man and others concurred.
"For him to be sitting in bed (the last few months) and not be able to get out and do things in the community was hard for him," Albright said. "He was a smoker and emphysema caught up with him."
Although Albertsen requested that family and friends not hold a formal funeral, Judie Albertsen said there will be a private celebration of life for close friends and relatives.
Albright said the public is invited to the anniversary pick-up and a celebration of Albertsen's life on Aug. 14 at Virginiatown Road. The group will meet at the nursery on Fowler Road off Highway 193.
Albertsen was survived by his wife, Judie Albertsen; four sons, Michael Albertsen of Hilo, Hawaii, Daniel Albertsen of Sacramento, Kevin Albertsen of Antioch and Kelly Albertsen of Concord; one brother, Richard Albertsen of Vacaville; one aunt, Pauline Maglio of Fairfield; two granddaughters, 12 step-grandchildren and a nephew.
Judie Albertsen said Hal requested donations in his memory be sent to CIMBL. Call the organization at (916) 652-2135 for more information.
The Journal's Erin Gallup-Main can be reached at ering@goldcountrymedia.com.
Well another year has slipped by, and yes, your efforts have made a difference this year!
First let me say that there should be a 2008 Schedule included with this newsletter. If you didn't get one, give me a call and I'll make sure that one gets to you ASAP.
One change on the calendar that I'd like to point out is that next year we're going to be meeting at the Park 'N Ride at 193 and Sierra College Blvd. for both of our Sierra College Blvd. clean-ups. This is due to the construction that will probably be going on through next year at the Interstate 80 off ramp.
Next, I'd again like to apologize for the irregularity of the newsletter, but this year has been VERY busy for me personally and for CIMBL. On the CIMBL front, let me touch on some of the highlights since my last newsletter:
1) We have two students from Del Oro High doing their Senior Projects with us. Tom Fehrman is working to get businesses to adopt Sierra College Blvd to supplement our efforts, and Justine Campbell will be teaching students about recycling and litter prevention.
2) We participated in an anti-cigarette litter campaign with Keep California Beautiful this summer and helped put out cigarette butt receptacles in the Auburn area as well as handed out well over a thousand "personal butt receptacles" at the Gold Country Fair and Fast Fridays.
3) Had a booth at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn for 4 days and promoted our efforts in the County. We got some good contacts from that event and educated a lot of residents about the fact that we aren't prisoners!
4) Worked with William Jessup University on their student orientation day to clean up the Rocklin area again and look forward to participating next year!
5) We have an agreement with Placer County again to help us, which is greatly appreciated! It's good to know that the County supports non-profit organizations such as ours to do work in the community as volunteers. As a taxpayer I'm REALLY happy they do this, and as the Director of CIMBL it's nice to know the program will continue.
I'd like to thank several of our volunteers for their extra efforts over the past few months. BV and Kim Rao and family for cleaning Baxter Grade in Rural Lincoln/Auburn, Bill Zaepfel for driving so much this summer and allowing me to spend time with my family, Dan and Karen Tajbl of Auburn for signing up to clean Dry Creek Road on a regular basis, Cliff Kennedy of Penryn for cleaning up the dump site at Clark Tunnel Road, Wes Naylor and Mike Neil for cleaning King Road in Loomis.
I also want to thank my Directors for the support they have given me over the last year: Gil for always reporting when asked to help, Jim for helping guide me when I need to talk, Kevin for his insight from the County's perspective and Penny for doing sooo much!
This year, we are already past our average annual bag count. What's interesting is that we're not having huge numbers of people show up to each clean-up (which is OK as when we get over 30 or so people we can't operate efficiently), but the number of clean-ups has gone up due to more groups and individuals participating on their own. Thanks to all those out there who take care of your own stretch of road!!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your families. Remember, There are no clean-ups in December, so I'll see you January 5th. Also remember to call the hotline for information if it seems likely to rain on a clean up day - 1800-886-5250.
See you at the next clean-up!!
Dave Albright
dave@albrightventures.com
(916)652-2135