Mayor Mila Besich enjoyed a welcome hike with the AmeriCorps team.
The Town of Superior welcomed the arrival of AmeriCorps Grizzly Team 1 this week, marking the fifth year the community has hosted an AmeriCorps service team dedicated to conservation, trail building, and wildfire mitigation projects.
The nine-member team is led by Team Leader Tri Raynes of Rocky River, Ohio, with Assistant Team Leaders Aaron Eton of Jefferson, New Hampshire, and Sara Schiedt of San Antonio, Texas. Team members include Shaun Stronach of Washington, D.C.; Destiny Morris of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sebastian Robertson of Falls Church City, Virginia; Sammy McDonald of Cincinnati, Ohio; Ryan Chernoff of Vienna, Virginia; and Joshua Fraser of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Superior was invited to apply for a team following significant changes to the AmeriCorps program after it was temporarily canceled due to DOGE cuts in early 2025. The return of the Grizzly Team reflects both the resilience of the national service program and Superior’s strong track record as a host community.
During their stay, the team will live at the Multi-Generational Center, located in the historic former Superior High School building. Their work will focus on critical fire break cleanup and maintenance projects to improve wildfire preparedness, construction of the Telegraph Canyon Trail in partnership with Legends of Superior Trails, and several weeks of service at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. At the Arboretum, the team will assist with invasive species removal, drainage projects and other improvements to the grounds.
Town officials expressed gratitude for the continued partnership with AmeriCorps and the many tangible benefits these teams bring to Superior through their hard work, dedication, and service to the community.
“We are excited to have an AmeriCorps team return to Superior, their work is instrumental to keeping our community safe and work on important projects that support our outdoor recreation opportunities. We encourage our local residents to engage and welcome this amazing team of young adults to our community,” said Mayor Mila Besich.