Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Clean Sweep 2015 - Another Success

"Lia and her team of turkeys" off Birdseye Road
Shelton Clean Sweep was another great success this year. Many thanks to everyone involved! We had 45 clean-up events registered online, and there are always many other cleanups that no one tells us about (perhaps the majority). The total reported cleanups involved 275 people who removed 250 large bags of litter as well as many other large items like old swing sets, tires, and even an old car. This does not include the Housatonic River Cleanup, in which maybe 100 people filled up a couple of large dumpsters.  

Results reported via the online Cleanup Reporting Form for the month of April: 
Jones Farm  - Walnut Tree Hill Road - 7 bags
Karen Sobbell & Family - Mohegan Road - 6 bags
Ingrid Waters - Long Hill Cross - 5 bags
Karen Sobbel, Mohegan Rd
Toni Pensiero - Constitution Blvd - 8 bags
Lia's Team of Turkeys - Corner of Rt 110 and Birdseye - 4 bags
Sheri Dutkanicz - Meadow St - 5 bags
Terrance Gallagher - Mill Street - 7 bags
Farmill River Association - Far Mill River - 8 bags and 2 boxes
Well Spring Estates - Old Stratford Rd, Farmill Crossing - 15 bags
Ellen Cramp - Coram Rd - 1 bag
Stusalitus Family - Canfield Drive - 2 bags
EDR - Armstrong Road - 5 bags
One Hour Heating - School St & Monroe Rd - 12 bags
Mica Corporation - Ivy Brook, Mountain View Roads - 6 bags
ECA - Mountain View, Ivy Brook - 31 bags & lawnmower
George Waters - Shelton Canal - 5 bags and large items
Boy Scouts Troop 55 - Shelton High - 7 bags
Sheri Dutkanicz - Birchbank Mtn Trail; Long Hill Ext. - 1 bag
Girl Scout Troop 63140 - Capewell Park - 3 1/2 bags
Eva Washenko - Petremont Street - 5 bags
St. Joseph  Group - South Bank - 3 bags & a tire
Nancy Dickal  - Kneen Street - 8 bags
Roller Family - Rocky Rest Road - 2 large bags
Karen S. - Mohegan  Road - 12 bags
Country Club Village - Means Brook - 25 bags and many large items
Boy Scout Troop 28 - Far Mill River; Rt 108 - 15 bags, 2 swingsets, an old truck
Girl Scout Troop 60394 - Nells Rock Reservoir - 4 bags
Belden Family - Kneen/Long Hill Ave/Const. Blvd - 1 bag
Girl Scout Troop 60062 - Perry Hill School - 5 bags
Cub Scout Pack 20 - Sunnyside School - 20 bags
RND Landscaping - East Village Rd - 4 bags, bumper, drawer
Karen S - Ripton Road - 2 bags
Gil Pastore - Far Mill River - 2 bags, 2 tires, and a tarp
United Methodist Church - Todd Road - 4 bags
Gil Pastore - Mill Street - 2 bags
Pack 27 - East Village Park - 10 bags and a tire
GS Troops 60778 & 60443 - SHS and SIS - 1 bag
Ron and Preston - Mill Street - 5 bags

Many volunteers don't report their cleanups, so the above is just a fraction of the litter that was actually removed.  We are still working to persuade people to record their cleanups. An estimate of the total number of volunteers involved throughout Shelton is 500 people. 

Housatonic River Cleanup -
One of the filled dumpsters at Sunnyside Boat Launch

Kenny Bagdasarian
Constitution Blvd
The biggest single cleanup is always the Housatonic River Cleanup, which stages at Sunnyside Boat Launch. This year was no exception, even though the group had to contend with some rowing races being held on the river at the same time as the cleanup. The debris was even sorted for better disposal. Great job! The group posts lots of great photos on their Facebook Page.


This year we saw a big uptick in the number of High School students seeking to work independently picking up litter to earn Community Service hours. Shelton High requires ten hours per year, and the deadline is May 1. We have a webpage that explains exactly how to earn hours by picking up litter. In order to receive credit, students need to carefully document exactly when, where, and how much they cleaned up, and also submit photos. Students can also earn their hours by helping out with the Housatonic River Cleanup, but some students prefer to work independently in their own neighborhood, sometimes for the best scheduling flexibility.

We seem to have a drop in the number of Scouts participating and would like to know why that is. It does seem harder to get word out to all the Scouting groups in advance. And we no longer hold the recognition event where certificates are handed out with the Mayor. Is that a factor? We miss all those Scouting photos.  But we did get some photos from others. Great job, everyone!

MICA - Ivy Brook Road

One Hour Heating and Cooling - School Street

Troop 28 - Far Mill River near Gristmill Lane

Residents of Well Spring Estates - Old Stratford Road

Cleanup by George Waters, Shelton Canal