Trash Me

The Clean Block Caravan, a project of the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee, will be in the 24th and 25th Police Districts this Saturday, providing residents with information and encouragement about being responsible. The Caravan is staffed with the City of Philadelphia’s most knowledgeable, introducing representatives from the Streets, Health, Recreation and Water (to name a few) Departments to neighbors. The Caravan staff will be available to answer questions and assist with City resource and opportunity connections.

Keep an eye out for Curby Bucket, the Streets Department’s mascot, who will be promoting recycling throughout the tour, too. On Saturday, May 3rd, look for the Clean Block Caravan in the 25th Police District from 9:30 AM until 10:30 AM, and in the 24th from 11:00 AM until noon. For specific Caravan stops, contact (215) 686-5560.

It’s going to be difficult for runners to keep the street tidy during the race Sunday – paper cups will be tossed in every direction along the entire 10-mile stretch and I doubt anyone running (myself included) will think twice about it. But for spectators attending the Broad Street Run, please help the good volunteers from Independence Blue Cross by picking up after yourselves. Be responsible for your own signs, food and drink, pom-poms, etc. It’s tempting to add your garbage to the small piles that form along the course, but be considerate and find a trash can.

I’m still waiting to find out if this will be a weekly service, but Saturday will see the Clean Block Caravan hitting the streets again, this time in South Philadelphia.

Curby Bucket and City representatives will be in the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 17th Police Districts from 9:30 AM until noon answering questions and promoting civic responsibility. For more details, contact the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee at (215) 686-5560, or ask your block captain.

When it comes to litter reduction, the spotlight is so often centered on plastic grocery bags. Difficult to recycle, last year City Council attempted a bag ban, while grocery stores and non-profits continuously pushed for change to reusables. Now, a new partnership will take aim at plastic bags, providing a fresh opportunity to properly dispose them.

Keep Philadelphia Beautiful has partnered with Penn Jersey Paper, Goodwill Industries and Trexx to launch a new collection and use system for these little plastic nuisances. The program brings together Penn Jersey, one of the largest bag suppliers, Goodwill Industries, an international non-profit provider and responsible for bag collection, and decking company Trexx, which will then reuse the bags as plastic lumbering for decks.

The partnership is relatively new and needs support – encourage your local grocery stores to get involved. For additional program information or how to contribute, contact Rocco D’Antonio, (267) 246-2005.

Volunteers are preparing for Fairmount Park Day, the Greater Philadelphia Cares’ beautification project working on the 9,200 acres of the Fairmount Park system. This annual effort will see over 1,200 volunteers - with room for many more – restoring, cleaning and greening the park and its landmarks in preparation for the summer season.

Everyone is invited to join, as the variety of tasks include maintenance, tree tendering, landscaping and cleaning. The spring weather and wide range of volunteer opportunities make this a great event for friends and community groups.

One such group will be the Big Ten. Forgetting rivalries and focusing on Belmont Plateau, alumni from Big Ten schools will be joining this effort for a second straight year. Volunteers from the University of Wisconsin, Purdue University, and Penn State will be working on cherry tree maintenance throughout the morning.

Fairmount Park Day will be held Saturday, May 17th, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Volunteers can register online, or by calling (215) 564-4544. For specific information on the Big Ten’s involvement, contact Kristin Martin, President of the University of Wisconsin’s Alumni Association, Philadelphia Chapter.

Greater Philadelphia Cares continuously makes a difference in our city, and now the nonprofit is making it easy for you to do the same. Tomorrow, Thursday May 21st, Greater Philadelphia Cares will be holding its “Pay What You Can” Night at the Arden Theatre, asking both the dedicated and those who wish to be so (but can’t find the time on weekends) to come out contribute to the GP mission. Tickets for the theater-feature, Our Town, cost what you wish to donate or are able to afford, and all are for general admission seating.

Contribution will be used for a number of Greater Philadelphia Cares’ projects, including block cleaning and beautification efforts. Last Saturday, GP Cares ran Fairmount Park Day, the large-scale maintenance project for the park system, and each week organizes and operates Neighbors in Action, a program that fights urban blight “one block at a time.”

Doors open at 7 PM and the show begins at 8 PM. Tickets are limited. For more information contact Jill Fornito, Director of Involvement, at (215) 564-4544.

Tomorrow I’m leaving for the Big Easy, where I’ll spend my holiday weekend reviewing economic recovery strategies and contributing via tourism. I also plan to use some time looking over the city’s litter issue; after all, it was New Orleans’ mayor that spurred “Trash Me,” and a look at the city’s ability to rebound from Katrina in terms of waste control and civic pride and responsibility should make an interesting highlight.

I’ll have notes to share upon my return. Enjoy your weekend.