NEWS
Mifflin volunteers aid quick cleanup
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Also by Lynn Heidmann:
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by Lynn Heidmann
Monday, May 1, 2006
With rain pouring down on the Mifflin Street Block Party Saturday, cleanup could have been a nightmare, but instead, residents were pleasantly surprised by a few extra helping hands.
Combined efforts from the City of Madison, students and a local church lifted the cleanup load for residents, allowing them to focus on the insides of their houses rather than the street.
In fact, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he was surprised how quickly the mess was cleared, despite the inclement weather.
"After going out and looking at the neighborhood again today, I can say very happily it seems cleaner the day after the block party than the day before," he said. "Whether it is volunteers or the city, everybody pitching in together is an amazing thing."
According to Verveer, members of the Blackhawk Church, located on the west side of Madison, showed up at 6 a.m. Sunday to clear the remaining trash from streets, sidewalks and front lawns.
This is the second year in a row the Blackhawk Church has helped alleviate cleanup duties for residents, he noted.
Though the Mifflin Street Co-op also scheduled a neighborhood cleanup this morning, Verveer said because church members did such a thorough job, the Co-op deemed any additional cleaning unnecessary.
"While most of us were still in bed, this church group was cleaning out in the rain," Verveer said. "The weather conditions were pretty bad, and the rain definitely made for a bigger mess."
The church's efforts were also matched by University of Wisconsin seniors Katherine Ball and Jeff Bell, who collaborated with the city to place recycling bins and trash cans in front of every house on Mifflin.
Bell said the project was very successful, and their efforts produced 22 full recycling bins.
Their simple efforts not only made cleaning easier, but also helped the environment by getting residents and partygoers to recycle cans, Bell said.
"We were [on Mifflin Street] late last night taking down our signs and getting things cleaned up, and from what we had seen, the street was already looking better than it did last year," he added. "The project went very smoothly, and everyone was very supportive."
Verveer added he was very impressed with the efforts of both Ball and Bell, and also said he hopes other UW students will take on the same responsibility next year.
"[Ball and Bell] are both graduating, so I wish there was some way that tradition could continue," Verveer said. "The neighborhood just looks like it's in great shape."
