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07/05/2016 02:30 PMClean UP East Haven is having “its best year yet,’’ according to organizer George Smith.
Clean UP East Haven, a 5-year-old program, has volunteers armed with garbage bags and rubber gloves, purchased by sponsors, gather at various spots around town on specific Saturdays, beginning in April, traditionally on Earth Day, and lasting until September.
“We’ve done better this year, with new faces and sponsors, than any other year,’’ said Smith. “We had one woman who has come to help us that has driven down all the way from Waterbury.’’
“It’s just been a real positive season so far,’’ reiterated Smith.
The next community clean ip for this season is scheduled for Saturday, July 9, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Kimberly Avenue commuter lot.
Smith, himself, came up with the idea of Clean UP East Haven.
“Really I kind of got the idea of starting it at the time because at the time you were never reading anything in the media good about the town of East Haven,” Smith said. “Myself and some others thought this was a way to do something positive to help the town, make it look better.”
Smith and his group of volunteers get together in a pre-designated town location on the second Saturday of every month and pick-up trash.
“We always keep to town property,” said Smith. “We are very careful about that. But it’s become an annual event that the volunteers really look forward to.”
Smith said traditionally the clean up efforts start in the northern section of town “and we always wind up our year in September down at the town beach.”
Smith said over the years the group has picked up, in addition to town of East Haven support, monetary donations from several East Haven businesses, including A & G Cleaning Agents, Nexgen, Therapy Works, Big Prints, and Beacon Insurance and Investments, Bullseye Refrigeration Bartlett & Burns-Attorneys at Law.
Anyone looking for more information about Clean UP East Haven can contact Smith at 203-812-8658 or at cleanupeasthaven@gmail.com.