Spring cleaning our towns

HARLEM VALLEY — The summer weather last weekend reminded many local residents that with a little hard work, everyone could enjoy and be proud of where they live.

Last Saturday, April 25, was a cleanup day for the area, and anyone driving along Route 22 between Millerton and Amenia couldn’t help but notice the hundreds of orange trash bags lined up along the side of the highway.

In Amenia, the Enhancement Committee was responsible for much of the organized cleanup, which spread all over the town. Committee member and town Councilwoman Vicki Doyle reported there were 30 to 40 volunteers this year, working in groups to clean up areas like DeLavergne Hill, Route 343 and South Amenia, among others. ImagineAmenia, the Lions Club, the Boy Scouts and the Cub Scouts were some of the organized groups that extended a helping hand.

“I think we’re lucky to have a beautiful town,� said Amy Goosens, who came up from New York City. Goosens was found picking up trash around Fountain Square. “We should take care of it. The less litter there is, the less people will litter.�

Over at the Amenia Transfer Station on Old Route 22, residents were allowed to drop off one load of trash for free as a way to encourage people to get out and clean the town.

“The community involvement is unbelievable,� said James Fraleigh, who runs the transfer station. “With the roads cleaned up, they can be better maintained.�

The town offers the free trash drop-off incentive twice a year, as well as a hazardous waste day in the summer. The program has been running for three years, and Fraleigh reported that there has been a decrease in the amount of highway trash that is brought in, which means the roads are being kept cleaner.

“It’s nice to see the people helping out,� said town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard, who was helping at the transfer station.

ImagineAmenia members were spotted on the stretch of Route 22 by the Wassaic train station. Darlene Riemer, who said she felt “a sense of pride� from her work, discovered an added bonus for her efforts among the rubbish on the side of the road: a $20 bill.

Over in Pine Plains, a similar effort was underway by the Pine Plains Business Association, which rounded up volunteers willing to brave the hot weather in the name of cleaning up the town.

“You have to clean so it doesn’t look like it’s run down,� said high school student Shannon Fletcher, who was volunteering her time for FFA community service hours. “Having it clean will attract more people.�

Finally, The Hotchkiss School sent a class out to Millerton Thursday, April 23, as a part of Earth Day, which was celebrated the day before. The entire school goes out to the Connecticut towns of Lakeville, Salisbury, North Canaan and Sharon as well.

“Students go to the movies and spend time here, and it’s good for the kids to be good neighbors in the area,� said Pat Kelly, an athletic trainer at Hotchkiss who supervised a group of students.

Even with the volunteers, Ibis Guzman from the Pine Plains Business Association stressed that consistency is an important part of making sure the streets stay clean.

“We have to make it a habit. If you see something when you’re walking, pick it up,� Guzman said.

Keeping towns beautiful and maintaining their eye appeal is another way to keep them clean, too, added Doyle.

“It starts by adding trees and flowers,� she said. “You have to encourage walking, because that’s when people start to recognize how bad the litter is.�