Trash walking, helping keep city streets clean

PLATTSBURGH | Winter is closing in. The air approached 40 degrees early Sunday morning. But a grassroots collective gathered at 9 a.m. with rubbish grabbers and bags to walk the streets and pick up trash strewn on sidewalks and still-green lawns. The morning trash walk was an idea that sprung up one day as Jonah Curtin walked through the City of Plattsburgh. "I love to walk," he said, snagging a discarded cup. "I moved home in July, and as I walked around, I noticed a lot of garbage and decided to pick it up." Jonah asked some friends if they wanted to help and a small informal crew formed. Word got out as they worked. Local business owners have noticed and express appreciation for the effort. "We remove about eight to 12 bags of trash on Sunday mornings, as much as we can pick up in two hours. "There's no pressure at all," Jonah said. The impromptu crew organized around a quiet walk through the city, a helpful way to meet new people and share some friendly conversation. The group has gathered at 9 a.m. in the Durkee Street Parking lot. They set a course from there with gloves, grabbers, bags and buckets. They surround and clear the Riverwalk Park area, and usually go up Clinton and down Brinkerhoff, which are typically littered after weekend activities. "We've got a pretty great group started," Jonah said, "that's Gary and Kris," he pointed. "They're really great." Gary and Kris Cheyne arrived, snagging trash as they meandered toward the parking lot. Trash pickup does involve some zig-zagging. The conversation was cheerful. Jonah served as a U.S. Navy Corpsman after graduating from Chazy Rural Central School; he joined the Navy pretty young. For the last several years, he's taught English at elementary schools in Guatemala. He returned to Plattsburgh to attain a nursing degree from Clinton Community College, and said the program is fantastic. "My dad went through the program about 20 years ago. It really is an amazing program. I love it." The trash collective just sort of grew as he put the word out on social media. "I started meeting new people, and some friends showed up. We go get coffee afterward." As the group gathered, Norma from Norma J's on Margaret Street came over to welcome the crew to the shop after morning rounds. "Free hot beverages from Norma's," she said. The coffee is fresh, and she usually offers the group a discount as a way of saying thank you. Emmett saw them getting organized and bounded over with a big, fluffy dog, who made rounds in moral support. They live in the city, too. Gary and Kris live off Bridge Street and spotted the invite for Sunday trash walks on the Plattsburgh Street Team™️ Facebook page. It's how Jonah lets people know when to meet, 9 a.m. on Sunday at Durkee Street is the standard time and place. "I saw he posted on Facebook and I said, 'Well, I'm retired'," Gary shared. "I thought it was a noble project. I live downtown, so I thought I'd give it a try." Kris said when they look out their apartment windows, trash buildup can be unsightly. "Now we don't see the trash anymore," she said. "It's really nice." They've been regulars since. Both Gary and Kris said they came to Plattsburgh 20 years ago, separately, from larger urban areas because they love this area's beauty and atmosphere. "We fell in love with the mountains and the lake," Kris said. "These people are really nice," Gary said of the trash collective. "I do it for the exercise. Plattsburgh is a very walkable city." Spending a little time outside on a Sunday to help keep it clean was an easy decision to make. Emily Hewitt and Koby Lapier are good friends of Jonah. "He organized the whole thing," Emily said. "He came home to go to college." The trash collective ranges from the early solo efforts by Jonah to 8 to 12 people, all pitching in as they can. In a family-friendly city, Emily said, kids and animals shouldn't be dodging trash as they play. They have spotted some used hypodermic needles, and Emily calls a friend from a local outreach program to come collect them safely. The group hasn't called city DPW for advice about trash drop areas. They just bring the bags to their own bins, usually one or two apiece. They do find and pick up a lot of brightly colored plastic wristbands, the kind local clubs provide for admission to music shows and events. Last weekend's wristband color seems to have been lime green. "We're thinking of talking to club owners about maybe using alternatives," Emily mused. "They could use hand stamps or something like that." The other thing the collective noticed is a lack of city trash receptacles on streets that lead to housing blocks just west of downtown, areas where people walk to and from on weekend nights. "There are no trash bins on Clinton or Brinkerhoff," Gary said. The group is considering reaching out to a few SUNY Plattsburgh clubs, fraternities and sororities next spring to see if any of them might want to add a little human power to the trash collective. "Which way do you guys want to go?" Jonah asked the group. West, up Clinton, over to Zukes, and down Brinkerhoff is a main route. With a plan, the Sunday trash group was off. They fan out like a rake to cover the main areas west and along Margaret St. The group is considering next steps as weather gets colder. November walks are likely to wind down given winter's arrival. When snow and ice line the sidewalks, they'll probably pause and regroup in springtime. Changes to the plan will be shared on Facebook, primarily on the Plattsburgh Street Team™️ group page. Anyone who wants to join in can keep up to date there. "I've always got an extra pair of gloves," Jonah said, smiling.

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Trash walking, helping keep city streets clean

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