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By Jorge Casuso
June 29 -- His work has won kudos from a president
and praise from those who appreciate it daily, but don’t
know who to thank. Eddie Greenberg -- the man responsible
for making the Third Street Promenade a clean and welcoming
place -- celebrated his 30th anniversary with the City Friday.
To mark the milestone, a crowd of well-wishers gathered on
the Promenade and thanked the “Dean of Clean”
for overseeing the seemingly thankless job of cleaning up
after the 10 million visitors who trod through the international
destination every year.
“My cup runneth over, because I’m not used to
anything like this,” said Greenberg, the Promenade and
Parking Structure Maintenance supervisor. “This is a
very inspiring moment.”
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| Bayside Operations Manager
Andrew Thomas presents Greenberg with a plaque. (Photos
courtesy of the Bayside District) |
City and Bayside officials praised Greenberg for the dedication,
leadership and love he brings daily to his work.
“It’s been a continuing pleasure to work with
you and your crew,” said Andrew Thomas, operations manger
for the Bayside District Corporation, which runs the Downtown.
“I can’t think of a time where you said no. Those
words are not in your vocabulary.
“Your commitment and dedication to Downtown is only
paralleled by the love of your crew,” Thomas said before
presenting Greenberg with a plaque.
Police Chief Tim Jackman, whose force works closely with
the Downtown maintenance crew, credited Greenberg for helping
maintain the Promenade's reputation as a safe and clean destination.
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| Police Chief Tim Jackman congratulates
the "Dean of Clean." |
“The Third Street Promenade is known around the world,
and one of the reasons is this man, and the work they (the
members of Greenberg’s crew) do,” Jackman said.
Greenberg is no stranger to praise. During a visit to the
Promenade four years ago, former President Bill Clinton noted
that the parking structure’s bathroom was cleaner than
Disneyland’s and complimented its pine scent.
A dedicated environmentalist, Greenberg has pushed Santa
Monica’s maintenance crew to the cutting edge, pioneering
the use of eco-friendly products and technologies, City officials
said.
“The way they do it is important,” sad Council
member Kevin McKeown. “We have actually led the world
in keeping an exciting public venue clean and environmentally
friendly at the same time.”
Soft-spoken and self-effacing, Greenberg has not been one
to shy away from pushing the City to provide more maintenance
resources or openly criticizing its bureaucracy.
But the 64-year-old Greenberg, who moved to Santa Monica
from his native Montreal when he was seven years old, is also
one of the city's biggest boosters.
Greenberg joined the City's maintenance team on July 1, 1977
after working with the late Cesar Chavez and the United Farm
Workers Union.
“The crews that he supervises still love him and know
what a great leader he is,” said local activist Jerry
Rubin, whose Alliance for Survival organized Friday’s
tribute. “He’s indispensable to Santa Monica.”
Greenberg, who lives with his cat, Winston, named after Winston
Churchill, has also left a mark on individual lives, helping
teenagers get off the streets and serving as a caring role
model for everyone from the homeless to the local shop owners.
“There’s doing and there’s being,”
said former mayor Michael Feinstein, “and I find when
I’m with Eddie, I’m connected to the universe.”
Friday's tribute to Eddie Greenberg will be aired next
month on CityTV.
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