By Michael Bushnell

Saturday’s community clean up was a huge success across the board. Neighborhood volunteers at multiple dumpster locations, including Sheffield and North Blue Ridge, experienced heavy traffic and had to have City crews come and relieve the pressure by removing trash with a clamp truck.

Volunteer crews scoured the neighborhoods, picking up trash, litter and tires, making repeated trips to dumpster and City trash truck locations in six of the Historic Northeast neighborhoods.

The Independence Avenue Community Improvement District (CID) and their team of seven Urban Street Ambassadors circulated through the neighborhoods, picking up waste tires that had been called in prior to the clean up. The CID team alone picked up over 150 waste tires and delivered them to the ABC Tire Recycling trailer stationed at Concourse Park. According to clean up organizers, there were enough waste tires picked up during Saturday’s clean up, ABC Tire had to bring in another trailer to accommodate the amount.

Scott Wagner, Director of NEAT and the clean up’s organizer, was pleased with the overall effort.

“I feel like we did really well,” Wagner said. “The best we’ve done in the past is 65 tons but I feel like we’ll beat that given the enhanced participation and the great weather.”