Twenty-eight volunteers spent part of their Memorial Day weekend cleaning up a section of Pennypack Park on May 25, removing 32 trash bags of debris and large items from the public park.
The monthly event sponsored by the Friends of Pennypack Park focused its efforts on the Sandy Run area, including sections of Ryan Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Sandyford Road and the Rhawn Street Bridge, as well as parkland adjacent to the Abraham Lincoln High School and Austin Meehan Middle School sites.
Volunteers included R.J. Markoowitz and his mom, Karen; Christopher, McKenzie and Edward Maher; Caitlyn, Gabriel and Olivia Nguyen; Alan and Melanie Kaminsky; Tim and Jeanette Scanlon; Rich Glaser; Tom Binczewski; Joanne Becker; Louise Kopena; Karen Kaczorek; Roland Williams; Bob McMunn; Audrey Walmsley; Justin Weiss; Sheila Grossman; Florence Brodman; Bill Henderson; Joyce Ferraro; Kevin Sweetra; Jim Smyth; and Nance Kerns.
They collected 30 bags of trash and two bags of recyclable cans, along with some interesting individual items including a broken Valley Forge plate, a leather purse, a broken sink, a broken vacuum cleaner, a Michael Jackson tape, garden edging, a broken garden trellis, part of a fence, 20 pieces of lumber, a pacifier, a broken plastic pole, various car parts, a half-gallon of motor oil, five quarts of motor oil, a bra, a jacket, a glove, a T-shirt, a broken skateboard, a broken dog collar, golf clubs, part of a scooter and a stuffed toy cat perched in a tree.
Kerns noted that there was a lot of illegal dumping in the Meehan parking lot. Volunteers found construction and landscaping debris. They were unable to remove much of the waste without heavy equipment. Also at Meehan, the crew found piles of broken glass where beer drinkers had been smashing their empty bottles against a wall. According to Kerns, the glass poses a hazard to people and their pets who like to walk in the area.
The next Friends of Pennypack Park clean-up will be on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the park entrance at Rowland Avenue and Welsh Road. They should wear long pants and comfortable, closed-toe shoes. They may also want to bring sunscreen and bug spray. The FOPP will supply equipment and refreshments. ••
