The Brookline Memorial Recreation Center
Earth Day - April 19, 2008
PA Cleanways Project

The team from the Brookline
 Recreation Center - April 19, 2008

"Click on images for larger pictures"

Saturday, April 19, was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining brightly and the green shades that signal the beginning of warmer weather were beginning to bloom on the hillsides surrounding Brookline and Moore Parks. What a perfect setting to celebrate Earth Day 2008, and what better way to usher in the spring season than with a clean, litter free neighborhood for everyone to enjoy?

For the fourth consecutive year, the boys and girls of Brookline came together and donated a couple hours of their time helping to clean up Brookline's two city parks. Led by the staff of the Brookline Recreation Center, and assisted by several adult leaders, the kids worked hard to help remove much of the unsightly litter that had built up over the past fall and winter.

The Brookline and Moore Park efforts were part of the Cleanways Project here in Brookline, coordinated by Keith Knecht of the South Pittsburgh Development Corporation (SPDC), a local community action group. The city-wide efforts are directed by the Pennsylvania Resources Council and Pittsburgh Citiparks. PA Cleanways is actually statewide effort to help eliminate illegal dumping and littering in Pennsylvania. Throughout the state, hundreds of thousands of residents joined in the pickup. Some of the other neighborhood areas where Keith and the many SPDC volunteers cleaned were Brookline Boulevard, Whited Street and Pioneer Avenue.

Jake Snyder, Nick Manuel, Brian Hall
and Chris Potts cleared the hillsides.
Jake Snyder, Nick Manuel, Brian Hall and Chris Potts cleared
the hillside below Breining Street. Lots of trash there!

When the day was complete, there were two large piles of garbage covering the pickup sites at both Moore and Brookline Parks. It was quite a fine effort by our own neighborhood kids, who all learned a lesson about the offensive nature of litter. Now it's up to the good citizens of Brookline to help keep our community resources clean. It's easy to walk past litter, ignore it or even contribute to it. It's equally easy to bend over and pick up a piece of trash. You'll feel better, and if everyone did that, think how nice our streets, sidewalks and parks could be!

The staff of the Brookline Recreation Center would like to thank all the children and adults who helped out with the park cleanup. Special thanks to our sponsors, Pittsburgh Citiparks, Antonio's Pizzeria and especially the South Pittsburgh Development Corporation. Each year, the good people at SPDC provide us with the supplies needed and then top it off by sending pizza and pop to help feed all of our hungry little workers.

The Brookline Park team included:

Brian Hall, Laila Jones, Kristin Pendzich, Noah Rodgers, Kenny Stalowski, Hunter Richie, Phillip Tranter, Arianne Sicilia, Nick Manuel, Billy Tranter, Chris Potts, Jacob Snyder, Lorraine Hancock, Mark Mellix, Dylan Stalowski, Alexis Snyder, Kelli Hall, Shawniece Mickens, Nick Michaels, Luke Richie, Brittany Corbett, Justin Hancock, Rita Gossett, Joe Szymanski, Clint Burton, Jimmy Perry, Matthew Newman and Milan Tyler.

The Moore Park team included:

Desiree Niccoli, Jenna Mitchell, Ariana Edwards, Jessica Sutton, Terri Sutton, Mariah King, Megan Coyne, Amy Tremel, Taylor Jamison, Julia Tremel, Shane McCarthy, Hannah Tremel, Erin Skiff, Michael Elwood, Hannah Skiff, Shannon McCarthy, Matthew McHugh, Robert Underwood, Matthew Newman, Michelle Underwood Jr., Debbie Augustine, Mary Ann McCarthy, Lori Coyne, Michelle Underwood, DeWayne Adams and Jimmy Perry. Most were from Girl Scout Troops #599, #1217, #1522, Brownie Troop #763, and the Resurrection Youth Group.

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