Cleaning up for Earth Day

Volunteers needed to help cleanup township roads.

By: Joseph Harvie
   Does the sight of cigarette butts and beer cans on the side of the road upset you?
   Do you get upset when someone throws a candy wrapper from his car window?
   Well, now you can do something about it.
   The Township Department of Public Works is looking for businesses, families, community groups and anyone else who might want to pitch in and clean the township during a monthlong celebration of Earth Day.
   Township Recycling Coordinator Nancy Paquette said the township will celebrate Earth Day, which falls on April 22, with cleanups each week in April. Residents who want to participate should sign up with Ms. Paquette before heading out to remove trash from the sides of township roadways.
   And anyone who participates in a cleanup is invited to a celebration and tree planting next month at Reichler Park.
   "All they have to do is give me a call. Then we’ll give them the bags and gloves," Ms. Paquette said. "Then they can come for free T-shirt and a hot dog at our party on May 1," Ms. Paquette said.
   Last year, the township collected more than 500 bags of trash from its roadways, and even though Ms. Paquette hopes there isn’t that much litter found this year, she hopes volunteers do an even better job this year.
   Ms. Paquette said she would like to see more families join in the cleanup She said families can help by removing the litter from more secluded and residential areas of town that are not commuter heavy.
   "The smaller family type groups, I would encourage them to come out," Ms. Paquette said. "They are good for highly littered roadway areas. My husband and family and I clean the Haypress part of Friendship Road every year."
   Ms. Paquette said she is always intrigued by what she finds on the side of the road. She said one year she found a VCR in a box.
   She said she doesn’t expect volunteers to commit a lot of time to the cleanup effort.
   "Just an hour is all we ask for," Ms. Paquette said. "You’ll be amazed what you find along the roadside."
   She said now that spring is here, and the snow has melted, it’s obvious just how much litter is on township roads.
   "After the hard winter we had, all the litter was covered with snow for so long and now it is just unsightly," she said.
   The spring cleanup kicks off just as the South Brunswick Shade Tree Commission is accepting applications for its tree planting program.
   The commission is taking requests from residents to have shade trees panted between 10 and 20 feet from the street.
   Application forms are available in the lobby of the Municipal Building and at the Township Public Library. They must be submitted to the township by Aug. 15.
   The township will mark out locations for the trees in early October and planting will take place later that month.
   The first planting will be held at Reichler Park at noon May 1 in commemoration of Earth Day. The tree planting will precede the celebration of the April cleanup crews.
   Ms. Paquette said the township holds the party for the residents and groups that participate in the cleanup each year. She said it is a way to say thank you to those who were willing to help the township look a little better.
   "Everyone that does the cleanup and goes to the celebration gets a T-shirt and a hot dog," Ms. Paquette said.
   To sign up for the garbage cleanup call Ms. Paquette at (732) 329-400 ext. 7274.