Willing volunteers make creek clean-up big success
Nearly half the people who worked shoulder to shoulder with St. Nicholas residents to clean up Millers Creek Aug. 13 hailed from other neighborhoods in Jacksonville, said Millers Creek Special Tax District Secretary Sharon Johnson. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the event was a big success, she said.
Meeting on land owned by E-Med proprietors Rene and Danny Pulido, which is located adjacent to the creek on Atlantic Boulevard, the group worked diligently to collect trash from the creek’s surrounding shores and water. Within three hours the group filled an extra-large dumpster with bottles, cans, plastic objects, mattresses, truck tires, broken bicycles, heavy-duty wire cutters and even a gigantic bin that had once found a home at the post office.
Joining in the fun were several members from the Jacksonville Environmental Quality Division including Water Branch Manager John Flowe, EQD Chief Melissa Long and Environmental Scientist Betsy Deureling, who supplied grabbers, gloves, trash bags and other miscellaneous items.
In addition to offering the clean-up workers with a place to meet, the Pulidos, who were unable to attend the event, supplied tents, chairs, ice-cold water, soft drinks, snacks and music to the volunteers. Several E-Med employees helped out, including Johnny Lopez and Fabian Overto, who loaded heavy bags of garbage from the creek and roadsides into a large trailer and transported it back to dumpsters rented by the Pulidos especially for the event.
“Many thanks to all who came out to make our Millers Creek/St. Nicholas Clean Up a big success,” said Johnson. “Special thanks go to David Trotti, who brought his group of volunteers to help out even though no one lives directly in our community.”
By Marcia Hodgson
Resident Community News
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading... 
