Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Earth Day in southern Chester County
FRANKLIN >> A tradition that started nationwide almost a half century ago is still going strong in southern Chester County communities.
In the spirit of Earth Day, which began on April 22, 1970, Franklin and New London townships are marshalling their residents to get out and hit the roadsides with trash bags, gloves and brightly colored vests in hopes of making a difference for the environment. And in a fortunate calendar coincidence, the date, April 22, is falling on a Saturday this year, giving environmentally minded residents the time to take part without interfering with their weekday routines.
In Franklin, which has been holding an annul cleanup for more than five years, the committee is doing things a little bit differently this year. Rather than gathering at the township building as a starting point, they are asking neighborhood groups to assemble themselves and clean up the roadways and fields near their homes between 8 a.m. and noon.
“We’re hoping they organize with neighbors to clean up the roads where they live,” said organizer and township supervisor Penny Shenk, who is joining volunteer Cynthia Yurkovich to lead the effort.
“Last year we picked up 22 bags of trash in just the halfmile from Route 841 to the township line,” she added.
The new plan does not mean that the township has separated itself from the project — just the opposite.
During the week preceding April 22, there will be gloves,
vests and trash bag available at the township building.
Afterward, the township public works trucks will pick up the bags as well as any of the larger stuff, like tires and furniture that the volunteers have marked with small flags.
Shenk said that historically the volunteers have found a wide variety of objects along the way including sinks, tires and toilets. In fact, she said, there was one occasion in which a contractor who was apparently redoing a bathroom dumped all of the old items from the entire room along a township gravel road.
In cases like that, she said, they don’t wait for Earth Day, but send their team out right way to pick the junk up, even going so far as to bear the brunt of the cost of disposing tires in the landfill.
Township Supervisors’ Chairman John Auerbach is enthusiastic about the cleanup.
“I sense some significant additional enthusiasm for the event based on my discussions with Penny and Cynthia. They are planning a strong effort to notify the community, roadside signs, newsletter mailer to residents, flyers, etc. They strongly are committed to increasing participation,” he said.
In New London, the township officials have registered for the Great American Cleanup Event of PA on April 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a rain date of April 23.
Volunteers are invited to participate in picking up trash and litter all over the township — or a least in front of their homes.
Materials have been provided by Penn DOT and include trash bags, gloves, safety vests and a few signs. All are available, on a first come first serve basis, the day of the event at the New London Academy parking lot beginning at 8:30 a.m. Receptacles for the litter and trash will also be at this location.
Dave Shirey, who is leading the event in the township, said he does not know how many people will turn out, but he has already had positive responses from the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, The Christian Life Academy and the Honor Society at Avon Grove High School. To register, contact Shirey at dshirey@fuchsus. com.
He said he has on hand 900 trash bags, 100 fluorescent vests and 100 pairs of gloves.
By registering, New London volunteers are also invited to take some videos of less than two minutes each and submit them to mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org or 1-877-772-3673 Ext 113.
Here is the message from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful: Send us a 2-minute video (made within a year) of your Great American Cleanup of PA event. (Any videos over 2 minutes long will be disqualified.) We want to see individuals, groups, children, and adults having fun making your communities clean and beautiful! Include music, be creative, and have fun! All videos and images submitted become the property of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and may be published. By submission of your video, you are acknowledging permission from all participants.
Earth Day was founded by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson in 1970 in the wake of increasing awareness of the environment following the publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring.”
He appealed to the growing strength of the student anti-war movement and spread the word that cleanup week would be during the week of spring break from college. Thus April 22, between spring break and finals became the traditional time for the environmental effort.
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