Thanks for Supporting Green Up Day!

by John Quinney

The first weekend in May was one of those near-perfect spring treats, and it brought many Charlotters out to join the state-wide Green Up Day effort. We scoured the roadsides of Charlotte for thrown away trash: bottles, cans, plastic bags, tires, coffee cups, cardboard and more. A dozen youngsters and some hard-working adults received Green Up Day T-shirts, thanks to the Charlotte Conservation Commission. And when all was said and done, our town was much the better for the effort and commitment shown by dozens of town residents.

When we get the tallies from the Chittenden Solid Waste District, I expect results will be similar to last year, about 40 tires, a truckload of metal and a bit more than that of general trash. Since the amount of trash we collect is a flawed measure of Green Up’s success, starting next year we’ll keep track of the number of people out on Charlotte’s roadsides each Green Up Day. The more people we have taking part, the more successful the event. So, while your memories of Green Up Day are still fresh, I would really like to hear your suggestions for how to attract more and more people in the years head. We’ve already had some good ideas about getting more students involved and ways to extend the period for dropping off Green Up bags. Please give me a call at 425-3773 or e-mail your ideas to john@ecvt.net.

On a weekend when so many volunteered their time, I want to recognize several people who really made a difference. Al and Sue Moraska came in—just like last year—with a pick-up truck full of trash. Charlotte Central School’s third graders spent the Friday before Green Up Day picking up trash all around the school grounds and along the roadside near the school. Special thanks to the Quonset Hut crew: Sarah Montgomery, Bob Hyams, Joe Messingschlager, Walter Gundel, Carol Hanley and Bunky Bernstein—and to Junior and Leslie Lewis for smoothly handling the transportation duties. Thanks too, to the Charlotte Conservation Commission for their support. We’ll be back again next year—on the first weekend in May! See you then.