Park cleanup held under ideal conditions
Volunteers, staffers roll up sleeves at Ridgewood and Licht parks
Mother Nature was extremely cooperative Saturday with the temperatures just perfect for a spring cleanup at Ridgewood and Licht parks in Warren.
Councilwoman Angela Rogensues, who lives near Ridgewood Park, planned the event and invited residents to volunteer to pick up trash and help the city’s Parks and Recreation department make the facilities spiffy for what tends to be the time of year parks have the most usage.
“We hear a lot about the conditions of our parks and them not being as robust as people would like,” said Rogensues. “I’m a firm believer in being part of the solution. So I thought it would be a great idea in the spring to coordinate a cleanup to make sure at least some of the city parks and support the Parks and Rec department in their efforts and so that we have a clean and safe city.”
Several residents made it a family affair with parents and children working side by side in the parks where they typically play and
walk. At Ridgewood, Amber Lindamood raked silver tinsel from underneath a tree with her daughter Jade and her son Jack and neighbor Jessica Kardasz, who brought daughters Alexis and Lillie.
“Everyone should get involved,” said Kardasz. “It is your community and you should want it to be beautiful. The magnitude of trash we have in Warren and Michigan in general is just outrageous so to tackle it and tackle it quickly we need everyone’s help.”
Kardasz is dismayed by the amount of litter she sees on her daily runs on 12 Mile, Hoover and Schoenherr roads. She urges people to take the extra few steps to throw refuse into a trash can and not to just toss it on the ground.
“This is not just a one
time effort,” said Kardasz. “It is going to need to be done often in order to keep it clean.”
Cathee Meldrum has helped with park cleanup projects often through various volunteer groups to which she belongs. She would have been at Saturday’s cleanup regardless of the weather, but said the dry, sunny, temperate morning was perfect for such activities.
“I was thrilled to see this was going on today,” said Meldrum. “Licht is one of my favorite parks. And my goodness, in this beautiful weather you could be at home or you could come out to a park you have not been to before. And when you are done you go home and feel good for the rest of the day because you helped clean up a park!”
Currently, Ridgewood Park is an open field with a few trees scattered across its 6.2 acres. Improvements are planned for this year including a walking path, native plant area, more trees and a butterfly garden.
“It has been quite a process to get as much citizen input as possible and build a park that the citizens in the area will use and that the space will be what the community around the park and the larger city wants,” said Rogensues. “I’m excited to see a walking path and some of the other things they have planned. I think it will be a great addition to the overall neighborhood.”
Rogensues was pleasantly surprised at the condition of Ridgewood and Licht parks, which tells her residents and the Parks and Recreation Department are doing their part to maintain them.
“Parks are one of the things that are inter-generational,” said Rogensues. “Folks across backgrounds, socioeconomic status and age all utilize public spaces like parks. It is one thing I think a thriving community has to have is public spaces that are accessible to all.”
She pointed to the variety of activities available at Licht Park, which is one of Warren’s smaller ones.
There is a walking path, a playscape, a pavilion, picnic tables, and a series of exercise stations.
“There is lots of opportunity for any use and for any age for people to use what is their community space,” said Rogensues. “The more community space the community has, the more it brings people together — particularly in a diverse city like Warren.”
The Warren Parks and Recreation Department currently has several seasonal job openings for park maintenance laborers, custodians and general workers. Apply at cityofwarren. org by clicking on “how do I” and “jobs.”