TERRE HAUTE —
About 100 volunteers spiffed up the city Saturday morning during the 10th annual Cleanup Terre Haute event.
With the weather cooperating to bring sunny skies to the efforts, volunteers pulled on gloves and grabbed plastic bags to sort the garbage and recyclables as they moved through the alleys and streets.
“I’ve got lots of plastic and aluminum trash, and milk jugs,” said volunteer Cathy Pilant as she opened her recycling bag.
“This is the cleanest area we’ve ever found,” Carol Waltersdorf added as the group finished its assigned cleanup area around 10th Street and Grand Avenue. “I’ve done some cleanups where it took a couple hours.”
Saturday’s organized effort by Keep Terre Haute Beautiful, a subgroup of Trees Inc., covered an area bounded by Eighth Street on the west, Collett Avenue and North Avenue on the north, 16th Street on the east and Ash Avenue on the south.
Organizer Armeen Williams, director of Keep Terre Haute Beautiful, explained that a litter index survey of the city was conducted to determine what areas of the city had the highest litter index. Then with the assistance of Republic Services for trash removal, as well as the City of Terre Haute, the KTHB group rounded up donations of snacks and bottled water, as well as bags for the collected refuse.
Longtime volunteer Mary Harris said she has been participating in the cleanup day since it began 10 years ago and has learned that all neighborhoods have their litter problems.
“I’m a member of Trees Inc., and I believe in keeping Terre Haute clean,” Harris said. “It amazes me that we go around and clean up an area, and it’s not bad when we leave. But then I go back home, where I think I live in a nice area, and I can find just as much trash in my own neighborhood.”
She said she can understand the frustration that some people must have in getting rid of unwanted items. She said she once found a couch that was propped up against a telephone pole. It was a wet rainy day, and getting that couch moved out of the alley took a lot of effort.
John Woelfle grew up in the Twelve Points area, where the group organized Saturday in the parking lot of the former Merchants Bank.
As a member of Trees Inc. since it organized 21 years ago, Woelfle said it’s important to keep the city’s environment in good shape.
“A clean city helps with economic development, and I think that’s the bottom line,” he said. “And it’s a quality-of-life issue.”
Several of Saturday’s volunteers were in the school-age demographic. A science class from Otter Creek Middle School sent 14 students to participate. Their time counted toward a required 12 hours of community service.
Football coach Chris Barrett from Terre Haute North Vigo High School brought five team members to the cleanup. They had finished their second round of trash-picking by 9:23 a.m.
Other cleanup crews included 4-H members, Girl Scouts and some family groups sharing together time.
Williams said she was pleased with the turnout and the enthusiasm of the volunteers. Cleanups are conducted twice a year.
Even Mayor Duke Bennett wore a florescent green T-shirt as part of a clean city crew.
“If we keep the trash picked up, people won’t add to it,” he said. “If we don’t keep the city clean, people won’t care, either.”
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Boats, too: Volunteers work together to throw half of a boat into a dumpster during the 10th annual Clean up Terre Haute event Saturday near the intersection of 13th Street and Lafayette Avenue.
Discussion
Volunteering for a cleaner town: Effort links less trash with better quality of life (with art)
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 21, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Monday and Tuesday, based on jail records.
-
UPDATE: Damage surveys show 2 weak tornadoes hit near Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — The National Weather Service says storm surveys show two weak tornadoes struck central Indiana.
-
Storm causes scattered Indiana power outages
INDIANAPOLIS — A line of thunderstorms that moved across Indiana caused scattered building damage and power outages for several thousand homes and businesses.
-
Kindergartner diagnosed with MD treated to a day with the fire department
“He’ll just never forget this day,” Stacey Manley said, a little bit tearfully, as she watched her smiling 6-year-old son Carter sitting happily in the captain’s seat of Fire Engine 2.
-
Casey, Illinois aims for another world record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records. After setting records for the world’s largest wind chimes and the world’s largest golf tee, Casey is now looking to become home to the world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook.
-
Rose-Hulman projects will promote growth, learning for people with physical challenges
Life changed dramatically for college engineering student Drew Christy on Feb. 22, 2008 when he was involved in an auto accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
-
‘500’ gas stations being sold to Speedway LLC
After several decades in business, the area’s familiar “500” gasoline stations and convenience stores will soon be missing from the roadsides of Vigo and Sullivan counties.
-
Terre Haute woman faces 14 charges
A Terre Haute woman faces 14 criminal counts after her arrest Friday on drug-related charges.
-
Two adults injured in ATV accident
Two adults were injured Sunday evening while riding an all-terrain vehicle near Lexington Farms Subdivision off Moyer Drive in southern Vigo County.
-
Vigo schools’ medical claims down 4 percent
The Vigo County School Corp.’s medical claims were about $13 million over the last 12 months, down 4 percent from the prior year, said Diane Titchenell, an Anthem account manager that works with the school district.
-
2013 Government Directory now available
The 2013 Government Directory is now available.
-
UPDATE: 5 killed, 6 injured in I-70 van crash in Illinois
ST. LOUIS — A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times today, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Tighter Indiana drunken driving law seems unlikely
INDIANAPOLIS — Some key Indiana legislators say it’s unlikely that the state will any time soon go along with a federal safety board’s recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 20, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, based on jail records.
-
Life-Size Ping Pong: Valley pickleball tourney draws large crowd to Brittlebank Park
It’s been described as “ping pong on steroids.”
Some people call it “life-size ping pong where you stand on the table.” -
Boat trip aims to raise awareness about Lewy Body Dementia
In 2013, the Year of the River, it makes sense to link a grand adventure on the Wabash River with a good cause.
-
Legislature had little taste for alcohol bills
When it comes to alcohol, the 2013 legislative session may be marked more by what it didn’t do to boost booze sales than what it did.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: April 29-May 3
The Vigo County Health Department inspected the following food establishments April 29-May 3:
-
For Piper: Annual ‘Rush the Punter’ event dedicated to Dixie Bee student who died Wednesday after a short illness
Steve Weatherford’s “Rush the Punter” fundraiser at Fairbanks Park on Saturday was dedicated to a little girl who lost her life unexpectedly to pneumonia.
-
Vigo schools prepare to tighten belts
State funding for the Vigo County School Corp. will remain “pretty flat” for the next two years, said Donna Wilson, chief financial officer.
-
Veterans take to the trees
Cristal Bednar took photos of her husband, Justin, as he laboriously climbed his way up a “Dangle-Duo” to get to a zipline at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Outdoor Center.
-
Property owner seeks halt to Hulman Lake dam project
A Terre Haute property owner is seeking an injunction that would at least temporarily halt the city’s work on the Hulman Lake dam project.
-
Tornado veterans balance preparedness, practicality
Few things in nature are less predictable than a tornado. They can form quickly. They strike weirdly, leveling one building while leaving its neighbor untouched. They can fling a car a half-mile and turn a piece of lumber into a wall-piercing missile.
-
ISU unveils interactive Bayh Family Legacy Wall at school
A who’s who of Indiana Democrats paid tribute to Evan Bayh and several generations of the Bayh family Friday during a dedication of a new interactive display at Indiana State University.
-
Can you smell me now?
A contraband cell phone has been discovered by the Vigo County Jail’s youngest and most unique officer.
-
GIVING BACK: Steve Weatherford buys shoes for kids day before charity run
Terre Haute’s Steve Weatherford, punter for the 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants, showed once again his generosity Friday by donating new athletic shoes to more than two dozen Vigo County kids.
-
N.Y. Giants honor Weatherford as ‘Man of the Year’
Dan Tanoos, superintendent of Vigo County schools, remembers the first time he saw Steve Weatherford as a freshman at Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
-
Sunday recital at The Woods
A recital featuring songs from well-known composers is at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 21, 2013
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Active Search for Utah Missing Mom Ends
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
Raw: Aussie Zoo Shows Off White Rhino Calf
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Crews Search for Survivors of Okla. Tornado
AP Photograher: 'It Was a Miracle' They Got Out
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Horse Saved From Slaughter, Goes on to Win Big
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
Olivia Munn Flaunts Her Bikini Bod
Britney Spears Under Fire Once Again For Being A Bad Mom
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
Arias Tells Jury What She'd Do if She Gets Life
The all-new Xbox One
RAW: Massive tornado strikes Oklahoma
Nidal Hasan paid $278K while awaiting trial
VIDEO: Teacher reunites mother and son after tornado levels elementary school in Oklahoma City
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Jennifer Lawrence Gets Naked and Painted Blue as X-Men's Mystique
Pickler's Dance Moves Cause A Stir
Obama to tornado survivors: The country stands beside you
Reporter Cries Over Devastation
Sneak Peek: 'Modern Family' Says Good Bye
Trailer: 'The Last Stand' Available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download
IWitness Look at Moore, OK Tornado
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
