Neighborhoods band together to remove tons of trash

What kind of trash? You name it! Read and learn why the Spring 2006 Neighborhood Cleanup helped make neighborhoods more livable …

Neighborhood volunteer Pat Castle “pitches in” by helping to unload some of the rubbish collected on May 6.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The park-and-ride lot on SE 122nd Ave. at Burnside St. looked like a yard sale gone wild on May 6, as communities making up the East Portland Neighborhood Office (EPNO) collected junked appliances and worn-out furniture, scrap metal, blown-out tires, and dumpsters full of yard debris.

The event “officially” started at 9 a.m., but cars and pickup trucks were lining up earlier than that.

Taking a break from his duties, John Welch and Bob Earnest of Hazelwood NA look over some of the trash and debris collected during the EPNO Spring Clean-Up.

“I’ve been doing this for the last three years,” said Lents resident and volunteer coordinator John Welch. “The turnout was down a little bit this time. It could be because several neighborhoods sponsored their own clean-up days.”

But, when we arrived before noon, we saw huge dumpsters, filled to the brim. “We’ve already hauled away two 40-yard dumpsters, and we’ve filled three more. We’ll probably end up filling 14 dumpsters this year,” Welch told us.

Many volunteers make the work light: Neighbors for most of the outer East Portland neighborhoods came to help citizens move their refuse into the waiting dumpsters.

Neighbors lend a hand
Helping unload the junky cargo were volunteers from nearly all of the thirteen neighborhoods in EPNO’s coalition. Rain or shine, these folks dedicate a day, spring and fall, to this project.

Adds quality of life
Asked why this effort was worth the work, Welch said, “It’s a good thing to help keep the neighborhood clean. It gives people the chance to get rid of their trash and refuse. This means junk and trash doesn’t get illegally dumped. It adds to the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”

Richard Bixby, executive director for EPNO gave special thanks, saying, “Our dedicated volunteers’ and sponsors’ support make this neighborhood effort possible. We also thank Metro, Portland Office of Sustainable Development, and Flannery’s Drop Box Service.”

Want to find out more about EPNO? See their web site at www.epno.org or call (503) 823-4525.

© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News Click Here to read more East Portland News

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