Past News & Events

First Spring Cleanup - April 26, 2008

We held our first Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 26, 2008.  When we picked this date, we were just hoping we wouldn't have to deal with rain.  We weren't concerned that it might snow.  Well, we should have been. 

At the appointed time (10:00am) on the scheduled date, our thermometer read 31° F, the wind was blowing, and a light, slushy snow was falling.  Not what we'd hoped to see!  Steve wanted to call it off, feeling that no one would show.  Joann wasn't so easily discouraged.  We loaded our truck with the trash bags supplied by the city, gloves, three fishing nets, and a rake.  Then we drove to the north entrance to the park in case anyone showed.

Three city residents showed up right away despite the conditions: Our neighbors Lee and Susan, and another gentleman whose name we did not get.  Steve told them that it looked like we'd have to reschedule.  All three expressed enthusiasm for the idea, and said that they'd be back to help on the "make-up" date.

Just when we were reconciled to the fact that we'd need to reschedule (Steve, at least, was reconciled), four of Joann's Century College chemistry students showed up.  Eager to receive credit for the "service learning" opportunity that the cleanup represented, Dou, Cleverton, Letricia, and Andres showed no signs that they were discouraged by the weather.  So what could we do?  The cleanup was on.  Later, another couple of Little Canada residents—Dan and Karen—showed up ready to help.

So the cleanup proceeded.  With eight people pitching in, and despite the less-than-perfect weather, the work went quickly.  We picked up a wide variety of items: a truck tire; shoes and clothing; tennis, golf, soft, and hard balls; fishing equipment including a broken pole; plastic bags, paper food wrappers and containers; and an inordinate number of plastic cigar tips.  The most common items we picked up were, of course, bottles and cans.  Some were glass (and some of these broken), a lot were aluminum, but the majority by far were plastic bottles.  Many of these cans and bottles (and some of the other items such as tennis balls and shoes) were fished out of the water.

We wrapped up at about noon.  In all, we filled perhaps ten or twelve large garbage bags, and felt pretty good about the way the park looked when we left.

Thanks to all who participated (and to those who wanted to do so)!

-- Steve and Joann