Submitted by Kelly Stettner
More than 70 volunteers of all ages scoured the river banks in Ludlow, Weathersfield and Springfield on August 22nd, searching for renegade shopping carts and other trash in the 10th Annual RiverSweep.
Despite threatening skies and the occasional sprinkle, people grabbed garbage, hefted a grappling hook, and gathered glass to help clean up the banks of the Black River. While recent rains muddied the waters and prevented any trash retrieval from kayaks this year, plenty of junk was recovered by the diligent Black River Action Team. Some new areas were cleaned this year, including a stretch of the Black River in Weathersfield that was tackled by Cub Scouts, headed up by BRAT volunteer Heather Payne. Among the items retrieved by the 16 volunteers were a 55-gallon drum, three tires, and “the better part of a case of wine,” according to Payne.
The Ludlow group was headed up by BRATs Robin Reilly and Sue Poirier, along with Sue's husband, Al. The efforts of these fine folks is greatly appreciated; each year, new folks join the Ludlow cleanup and Robin & Sue were instrumental in making that event go smoothly. Their volunteers retrieved pots and pans, sixteen bags of trash, some toys, and enough metal junk to fill a pickup truck. All the trash was brought up to the Ludlow Transfer Station for disposal.
In Springfield, Cub Scouts and Brownie Girl Scouts worked side-by-side with the adult volunteers, hauling things from the banks of the river and “fishing” for shopping carts dumped over the railing of the footbridge in the shopping plaza. Eleven carts were retrieved despite the opaque, muddy water, and were hauled away by the fine folks of Clear Away Rubbish Removal, who scrapped the metal in Ascutney. The money from the recycling will go into a BRAT “account” and will be mailed as a check once the tally reaches a certain amount. The rest of the Springfield trash was disposed of by the plaza owners, the Youngs. Jim Young and his daughter, Jen, worked tirelessly from the start of the Sweep till the very end, hauling junk and grilling up hot dogs for the hungry volunteers.
Marita Johnson, who is heavily involved in many volunteer organizations in Springfield, co-organized the Springfield “HeadQuarters” of the RiverSweep. Her flexible “can-do” nature always makes people feel welcome and appreciated. Kelsey Marston of Chester was also eager to help with set-up, grappling hook hefting, welcoming volunteers, and “breaking camp” at noon. The help of these two ladies made the whole event run like a dream.
All in all, more than 30 bags of trash were collected during RiverSweep, along with plenty of metal junk, bits of glass, cans and bottles, a few “unmentionables” from under the footbridge, and some odd pieces: a broken gumball machine and a handful of “troll” trinkets in plastic bubbles, metal bedsprings, a dead rat, a twisted park bench, a plastic butterfly, and a kitchen knife.
RiverSweep started in 2000 with 3 volunteers and a simple idea to just take care of the river. The idea is still simple, but the support received by the Black River Action Team by the scores of volunteers as well as the businesses and donors in the local community continues to grow and inspire. Many thanks to everyone who supported this year's efforts!
Supporters for 2009 include (in alphabetical order):
CT River Watershed Council
C&M Concrete
Cavendish Historical Society
Citizens Bank
Clear Away Rubbish Removal
Divergent Technology
Drew's All Natural of Chester
Dr. Chris Fauver
Garden Alternatives
HCRS, Inc
JB Handyman
Katherine Washburn Ceramics
Lucas Industries
Ludlow Transfer Station
Luzenac America
Mack Molding of Cavendish
MadHouse Munchies
Main Street Market
MDM Metals
New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
Norcross Wildlife Fund
North Fork Bagels
Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District
Radio Shack of Springfield
Riverside Middle School
Sandri-Sunoco
Shaw's of Ludlow
Shaw's of Springfield
Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission
Spring River Enterprises
Springfield Fence Co.
Springfield Garden Club
Springfield Rotary Club
Springfield Town Library
Springfield Transfer Station
State of VT Agency of Natural Resources
Town of Ludlow Parks & Rec
Town of Springfield
Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co
Vermont Tees
Wallace & Pancher, Inc
Wicked Good Pizza
Youngs' Furniture & Propane
