Re: [longview-park-community-watch] Longview Branch Stream

All, The student coordinating the stream cleanup for Enloe NHS alerted me that they plan to conduct their next campaign this coming Tuesday (2/28) shortly after school releases at 2:40pm. I am going to try to lend a hand (if I can make my schedule work). If anyone else is interested, this would be a great opportunity to partner with the school and make an immediate positive impact. If you are interested, please let me know and I will provide additional details as they become available. I know the weekday afternoon is not ideal for those who work set/ regular schedules, but there will be future opportunities at more convenient times. Thanks. --Emrys On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 11:09 AM,  <slcassidy(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > Karen, > > this is awesome!  We should definitely plan to take advantage of these > resources for the creek cleanup that is being planned. > > thanks for the info! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Karen Galata > Sent: Feb 18, 2012 10:12 AM > To: longview-park-community-watch(a)googlegroups.com > Cc: Stevens rd > Subject: Re: [longview-park-community-watch] Longview Branch Stream > > Anti-littering Campaign for Wake Co. > > I just learned about this great anti-littering campaign for Wake Co. > You can sign up to receive FREE litter bags, posters and stickers! > (http://www.86it.com/downloads) > > "This is 86it.com the concourse of Wake County’s anti-litter attack – the > 86it movement. Where we Wake Countians here in North Carolina gather to > rally ‘round our coveted county and keep us a #1 place to live, work and > play (that’s the sort of thing magazines like Forbes and MONEY say about > us). A place where every city and town in our community sees litter as a > six-letter word. > > To stay numero uno, we have to join together as a band of 86ers and spread > the word – Respect the Can." > http://www.86it.com/ > > > > > > On Jan 22, 2012, at 10:53 AM, Emrys Treasure wrote: > > Sheri, > > Thanks for sharing your experience. Very valuable lessons learned.  What > emerges to me from your story is that the "offenders" respond positively > when they are aware that the community cares (form of education I suppose). > The potential for punitive measures also seems to be in important. > > I'm not sure if others use this already, but perhaps it can be a tool in our > toolbox approach to this problem: > http://www.ncdot.org/doh/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/beautification/li… > > Submitting the form results in a standard letter from the State Highway > Patrol to the address that the offending vehicle is registered to describing > what happened and that littering is illegal (...duh). I originally started > using this when I was a student at NC State to report students throwing > cigarette butts from car windows. My theory was that the car is registered > to their parents and that their parents probably didn't know that they > smoke, not to mention litter. Perhaps the same theory applies here? > > As for enforcement, in addition to coordinating with the school resource > officer/ bike patrol, maybe the Longview walking club (i.e., Ginger) could > make an effort to regularly walk during the lunch period and monitor/ submit > complaints as necessary? > > --Emrys > > On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 10:32 AM, <slcassidy(a)earthlink.net> wrote: >> >> >> Hello Emrys, >> >> thank you for initiating discussion regarding this on-going problem with >> Enloe student litter.  Living directly across from the high school, I can >> tell you that I have cleaned up more than my share of their trash!  While I >> agree that additional trash cans are needed, I believe that there is another >> aspect to solving this problem that needs to be considered.  But first, I >> would like to say that I do not think it is worth the effort to approach the >> Enloe NHS or the student Council.  For the past two years my daughter was an >> officer of the Enloe student Council and also a member of NHS. On several >> occasions I suggested to her that either of these organizations could serve >> the community by addressing the littering problem.  What I learned is that >> these organizations have a quota of 'community service' work that they >> engage in and once the quota is met, they do not make any effort to take on >> additional projects, no matter how worthwhile or noble they may be. >>  Besides, these kids are not the perpetrators, and utilizing them to clean >> up the mess is not a sustainable solution to solving the litter problem. >> >> Two years ago I had a one-on-one meeting with Matt Rice to discuss the >> student littering problem and offered my assistance to help in any way >> possible.  Needless to say, he never contacted me, so that Spring I decided >> to launch my own personal campaign to fight the problem.  Over the span of >> several weeks I picked up trash along the street where the students park >> during the school lunch periods.  I made it very obvious that I was picking >> up their trash and I talked to many students reminding them that littering >> is a $$punishable$$ offense and encouraged them to use the trash can >> instead.  One day I actually witnessed a bag of trash being lobbed from a >> parked car into the stream just a few feet from where I was standing.  There >> were 4 boys in the car and I told the driver that I would report him for >> littering unless he made sure that the trash was picked up.  After some >> discussion within the car, boy from the back seat emerged, climbed over the >> railing and down the embankment to retrieve his trash.  I held open my >> garbage bag for him to deposit it and told him that I was 'the litter >> police' and that I would be keeping watch on a random basis!  While this may >> sound a bit extreme, I can tell you that it was effective as the volume of >> litter was noticeable diminished during those months. >> >> While it is not feasible (or safe!) for neighbors to deputize themselves >> as the 'litter police', my little experiment convinced me that some sort of >> patrolling coupled with awareness and personal interaction with the students >> is needed.  Last year there was a bike-patrol on duty during the lunch >> periods to ensure that only students with appropriate privileges were >> leaving the campus.  If this position still exists, it seems logical that >> the duties could be expanded to include litter patrol and awareness >> communication with the students as well.  Signage is another easy and >> effective educational and preventive measure that could be taken.  The 'Keep >> America Beautiful' and 'Don't Litter!' signs that were prevalent during my >> youth left and huge and lasting impression on me and, most likely, others as >> well.  Perhaps this is something that we could also request through the CAC. >> >> I am willing (and available) to help with any efforts that are focused on >> addressing the litter problem.  Please let me know how I can be of >> assistance. >> >> thanks again, >> >> Sheri >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Emrys Treasure >> Sent: Jan 21, 2012 1:07 PM >> To: Stevens rd , Longview Park Community Watch >> Subject: [longview-park-community-watch] Longview Branch Stream >> >> Hi All, >> >> As I was walking the dogs along Bertie Dr today, I couldn't help but >> notice the large volume of trash in the Longview Branch stream channel and >> buffer. In addition, there are only two trash cans between Chatham Ln and >> Locke Ln. The nature of the trash also clearly indicates the source (Enloe >> students discarding mainly styrofoam food containers after lunch). >> >> I know this issue has been raised before at CAC meetings, but perhaps we >> can take this opportunity to harness our emerging community watch and >> establish a early success story. >> >> Couple of key points and actions that I submit for discussion by this >> group: >> >> 1.The Enloe National Honor Society (NHS) holds the adoption rights to >> Longview Branch. When I was in high school, our NHS was always looking for >> community service opportunities and we often had funds at our disposal to >> conduct them (relevant to item #2). Perhaps we can partner with the Enloe >> NHS to conduct a spring cleanup. >> Proposed actions: (1) contact Enloe and the City of Raleigh Adopt-A-Stream >> program and determine when the last cleanup was conducted; (2) scope out >> what resources the City might be willing to contribute to help (especially >> with respect to item #2). >> >> 2. Item #1 is somewhat pointless unless we are also willing to address the >> source of the trash and give the students a reasonable alternative to >> tossing their trash in the stream. >> Proposed actions: (1) engage Enloe to educate their students on water >> quality issue (perhaps there is an Enloe environmental club or student >> government body that would take this on); (2) establish a density of trash >> cans along Bertie Dr that makes throwing trash in a trash can easier than >> throwing it in Longview Branch. >> >> I welcome and encourage your thoughts and suggestions. >> >> -- >> Emrys Treasure >> East CAC Co-chair >> Longview Park Resident >> > >