STREET LEADER PROGRAM

 

Last summer, I suggested to Keep Akron Beautiful that we try to create a "Street Leader Program."  I never heard anything back.

My idea was to try to get volunteers involved by committing to keeping one street clean, most likely, the street they live on.  Not many people want to clean up their entire neighborhood.  It's too much.  But if there were hundreds of volunteers keeping an eye on their street, it would be very possible to keep Akron clean.

My friend, Tom, cleans Glenmount, close to where he lives, and Main Street from Miller Road to the freeway, and he has been working hard on this for many years.  

I'm going to focus all my energy on Wilbeth Road now.  I'm getting frustrated trying to clean so many areas in Akron.  

Wilbeth Road is a main road in and out of Firestone Park.  Lots of cars and lots of trash.  There are eight areas where homeless people make big messes, so if I can keep Wilbeth Road clean, it will make a huge difference to people in Firestone Park.

Tonight, I cleaned Wilbeth Road and Main Street, and I picked up 2,404 pieces of trash.  I figure it will take me 8 days to clean it all, then I'll start over and clean it again..

I feel bad about all the areas I'm not going to clean anymore, like Lover's Lane & Brown, Arlington & Archwood, all the streets in the Wilbeth-Arlington Properties, all the areas on Main Street and Waterloo Road that I've spent so much time on, as well as the exit and entrance ramps to I-76.  The City of Akron and Keep Akron Beautiful are going to have to figure out how to keep all those areas clean and safe.  I can't do it all and do it well.  

I showed everybody what can be done.  Now I need help.