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Volunteers sought for April 14 clean-up

Date: 4/11/2012

April 11, 2012

By Debbie Gardner

debbieg@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — For the second year in a row, residents, local civic organizations and the town are coming together on a spring weekend to help West Springfield spruce up its image.

This year's town-wide Clean-Up Day is slated for April 14 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and event coordinator Pamela Breglio told Reminder Publications she is still looking for volunteers to assist in the effort.

"I understand last year we had about 125 [volunteers] and we would certainly love to double that," Breglio said, adding that she is particularly in need of team captains to spearhead the clean-up efforts in various part of the city.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Breglio directly at 731-9249, or simply gather at Mittineague Park to sign up at 8:30 a.m. on the 14th.

"We're going to have registration, coffee, juice and donuts [starting at 8:30 a.m.], then from 9 a.m. to noon people are going to spread out across town," Breglio said, adding that she and West Springfield Waste Management Coordinator Michael Pattavina would be identifying areas of town that need attention prior to the clean-up day.

At noon, Breglio said he clean-up volunteers would be returning to Mittineague Park for a lunchtime cook-out hosted by the West Springfield Lion's Club. At that time, younger volunteers will be rewarded for their work with a T-shirt.

She added that individuals who can't commit to a full morning of work on town sites, but want to spruce up their street or neighborhood, are encouraged to do so on that day.

Breglio said the West Springfield Rotary Club, the West Springfield Lion's Club, the town's Environmental Committee and the Department of Public Works (DPW) are sponsoring this year's clean-up day. Sullivan Paper Company is donating the trash bags for the clean up, and Donut Dip is providing the donuts for the morning registration snack. The DPW will be providing trash pick-up, and the Massachusetts Highway Department will be assisting the town with a pre-event clean up.

"I contacted them and they said they would clean up Riverdale Street for us the week before," Breglio said.

She added that, as part of the recruitment effort, she has been sending letters to businesses in town, asking them to pledge to clean up their areas and keep them picked up.

"We're going to be working on businesses to keep their [properties] clean so that trash does not flow into neighborhoods," Breglio said. "We want them to look to that .it's part of being a good neighbor."

Breglio said she was inspired to coordinate this second town-wide clean-up day by stories her daughter, Marta Kilrain, brought back about a "tidy town" competition between communities in Ireland.

"They have billboards, and when you drive into a town you see [a sign]} that says 'Tidy Town Winner, 2002' and such," Breglio said, adding that she has had discussions with members of the Rotary about starting a similar type of friendly competition in communities in Western Massachusetts.





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