The Cleanup Kid

by Sheila D'Amico

When Cesar San Miguel was about to turn six, he told his parents that all he wanted for his birthday was a trash-pickup stick. Cesar said he noticed people cleaning up streets and putting the trash into huge bags, and he wanted to do the same. Cesar's dad Ron worked for the city at the time, so he called around to find where he might buy the stick. Instead, the folks at what is now called the "Keep Oakland Beautiful" program set Cesar up with his own gloves, trash bags, and, of course, pickup stick. He's been at work ever since.

I met with Cesar, now ten, his dad, and his younger brother, Oscar, in their home one sunny Saturday morning. No stranger to the celebrity media interview Cesar was featured on a KGO-TV spot when he was seven he chats comfortably about what he's doing and gives tips for anyone who wants to follow his example. "Wear gloves," he advises. "You've got to be cautious about what you're picking up."

Cesar was recently honored as one of Councilmember Jean Quan's neighborhood heroes for his street-cleaning activity. But that's not all he does. He's an honor student and a student of martial arts. He shows me the four belts he earned in Akido: white, purple, yellow, and orange. He says that his favorite subjects in school are social studies and math, and he likes to read. I know that he's serious, because when I ask him what he reads, he answers not with the title of the books, but with the names of authors: "Rowling, Tolkien, and Roald Dahl," among others.

Half-kidding, I ask if there's anything else. "Oh yes, he is getting into music now," Ron, who is also a musician, says, "and chess."

But Cesar is not an anomaly in his family. The whole family is multitalented and involved. Since the age of three, Oscar, who has excused himself from the interview to use the computer, has helped Cesar in his cleanup efforts. So have Ron and mom, Silvia, who had to be at work that morning at the Mexican consulate.

We take a walk down the street. The blocks of Magee that Cesar maintains are marked with a signpost on one corner, with arrows pointing in two directions, "Adopted and Cleaned by Cesar Gabriel San Miguel."

I ask Cesar when it is busiest for him. When is the street the messiest? On the weekends? After school? Holiday time? He looks at me with a puzzled look and replies. "Oh, never."

Ron nods as Cesar continues. "It's never messy. Everyone on the street knows me. They know what I do and they all keep the street clean. I hardly have to pick up anything any more."

If you want to adopt a spot, call "Keep Oakland Beautiful" at 434-5131.