City of Holtville officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning to celebrate the opening of the city’s decades-long Wetlands project, conceived by Elwood “Pete” Mellinger. The $4.6 million, 31-acre project made several residents joyous at the event, especially Holtville resident Mary Martinez, whose backyard scene has completely changed with the project. Years back, the property used to be so filled with trees that nobody could walk through.