Meet Bolivar Esquivel and Rudolph Pugh, Jr., who have recently been honored as DLBA’s Clean & Safe Team Employees of the Quarter. Both of them are highly valued for their dedication to helping Downtown Long Beach be the best it can be!
Clean Team member Bolivar Esquivel hails from the Mexican state of Michoacan, and has spent over half of his 66 years living right here in Downtown. He stays busy with the Clean Team five days a week, working several routes that cover most of Downtown’s neighborhoods.
“I like all parts of my job,” said Esquivel. “I’m very proud to help keep our city clean.”
Esquivel mentioned that he meets all kinds of people on Downtown streets during his shifts, and has many conversations throughout the day in both English and Spanish.
He has seen many changes in Downtown over the years, and has enjoyed watching the growth of Shoreline Village, which he will often visit with his three grown children. “Tequila Jack’s is a big favorite,” he said.
Safe Team member Rudolph Pugh, Jr. was born and raised in Compton. He moved to North Long Beach when he began his career at the Port, where he worked for 30 years. During that time, he often worked a second job. Now, having retired from the Port, he spends many hours per week working as a Safe Team member, maintaining and protecting the restrooms at the Long Beach Transit Gallery at 1st and Pine.
“I often work at the Transit Gallery from 6 PM to 2:30 AM,” Pugh, Jr. explained. “I maintain cleanliness in the restrooms for the bus drivers and the public, checking and stocking them, making sure everything is scrubbed and mopped.
“I see all sorts of people during the night,” Pugh, Jr. continued. “Visitors from L.A., cruise ship tourists, skateboarders, night-shift workers — all kinds of folks pass through here.”
Pugh, Jr. will occasionally visit Downtown with his wife, but on his off days he usually prefers to spend time at home watching sports on TV and hanging out with his 13 grandkids. “Mostly, after working so hard for so long, I like to catch up on my sleep,” he said, laughing.
Look for the Clean & Safe Team next time you’re in Downtown, and don’t hesitate to reach out with a kind word! Show your appreciation for the team that works seven days a week, 52 weeks a year to keep Downtown clean and safe!