Cleanup of Springdale's Pittsburgh Street requires 2nd day; more help sought

Cleaning up Pittsburgh Street in Springdale appears to be a bigger task than anticipated.

In response to concerns raised over the upkeep and maintenance of the borough’s main drag, a group of roughly 25 Springdale residents, borough officials and high school football and Key Club members took to the street last Saturday to clean up the town.

“The cleanup went great,” Councilwoman Toni Robbins said. “However, it was a bigger project than anticipated so we are finishing up this Saturday.”

Cleanup included trash pickup and pulling weeds along Pittsburgh Street. The group started at the Springdale Veterans Association and ended at School Street, Councilman Joe Kern said.

“The students displayed great enthusiasm and hard work during the project on Saturday,” said Rachel Tinker, adviser to Springdale High School’s Key Club. “The students worked along both sides of Pittsburgh Street to pick up trash and tended to the sidewalks by clearing out the weeds and overgrown grass.”

Volunteers aim to reconvene at 10 a.m. Saturday and tackle the rest of the road.

“We’ve got a lot to do, and we’re definitely interested in getting more volunteers,” Kern said.

People still can pitch in to help even if they are not able to attend the cleanup Saturday. Kern encouraged people to email him if they’re interested in not only volunteering but also lending shovels, rakes, brooms, gloves and more.

“We’re looking for anything,” Kern said. “Donations are welcome. If anybody wants to donate money or donate funds, drinks, tools, time, anybody’s welcome.”

The cleanup also is an eye-opener for Kern, who is the council’s chairman for code enforcement. He noticed some needed repairs, including drains on streets, curbs, broken windows and other issues.

“Our goal is to bring the town back to how it used to be, where it was very vibrant,” Kern said.

The event is a true community effort.

Mayor Joel Anderson and the Veterans Association bought lunch for volunteers, and the Hope Group donated cases of water. Springdale police assisted with traffic control, and the street department donated trash bags.

“It was very refreshing to see so many volunteers helping,” Robbins said.

The cleanup is something the borough hopes to grow.

“Ideally, we’d like to start doing this every year,” Kern said.