NorthFork Riverfront Cleanup Scheduled April 30th--Calling All Volunteers
The 2nd annual NorthFork Riverfront Cleanup Project is scheduled for April 30th, 9 AM - noon, in conjunction with the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce's Green Council Earth Day celebration at the Norfolk City Auditorium.
Norfolk Daily News has spotlighted the event as well as a tree planting ceremony by the City's Tree Board in conjunction with the City's designation as a Tree City USA community.
Advanced registration is encouraged to gage participation and assignments. Please use the riverfront cleanup registration form and return to the Chamber Office.
View images of last year's riverfront cleanup event at a on-line photo album.
Wear protective clothing to include gloves if you have them. Trash bags and water will be provided. Volunteers with power and hand saws would be appreciated.
Thank you to the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce Green Council for bringing vendors and volunteers to the City Auditorium to share how they’re helping their customers and citizens understand and implement sustainable products and practices in their homes, neighborhoods, businesses and communities.
The NorthFork Riverfront Development Project joined in the activities by helping organize the second annual riverfront cleanup efforts. A special thank you goes out to organizations and volunteers that came together to make our community a special place in our hearts and an attractive destination for visitors.
Community leaders stepped forward to display a “can do” attitude. For example, The Zone young adults after school program helped pick up donated foods from area businesses, HyVee, Affiliated Food Midwest, and Hiland-Roberts Ice Cream, and then prepared and served the food to volunteers. Once again the NPPD team with their wood chipping equipment turned unwanted trees into bedding material for the City’s trees. Norfolk based Army National Guard, SSG Chad Pokorney and his team, helped to remove trash, picked up trash bags, and dragged cut trees to the chipper.
A special thank you to the City’s Tree Board member Garrett Fischer for his expertise in identifying and removing unwanted trees along the riverfront with his specialized equipment. Waste Connections provided roll-off containers and Brad Dinkel bringing a skid loader. Connecting Leaders in the Community (CLiC), Norfolk Youth Leadership Council, and the Sacred Heart Kiwanis Builders Club team of volunteers could be found along the riverfront doing their part. There were many other walk-up volunteers that stepped up to remove trash and debris along the North Fork riverfront.
As you look southeast from First Street you will see the difference. We expect to continue this general clean-up process along our sometimes forgotten yet flood protected natural water resource. Just as the state has a sustainable Adopt a Highway program, could you envision a City’s “Adopt a Riverfront/Trail” program?
As a private citizen my hope is that future efforts will bring increased emphasis on how our community can connect City parks as part of the recently published City’s Park and Trail Master Plan, improved water quality, increased public access to our water resources, invigorated private redevelopment efforts and business recruitment.
With collaboration of many organizations and individuals we can witness transforming changes in ourselves and the community.
Thank You!
Mark Hall
NorthFork Riverfront Development Project Board Member