First Posted: 4/27/2015
CLARKS SUMMIT— Members of the local community donated their time and energy on April 25 to clean up downtown Clarks Summit.
Volunteers who came out on a chilly Saturday morning to help beautify the downtown swept debris, pruned, weeded, raked, and cleaned windows, according to Gail Rees, Abington Business and Professional Association (ABPA) president. Rees collaborated with Clarks Summit Mayor Patty Lawler to organize the Second Annual Town Clean-up and together, they enlisted the help of other local groups.
According to Rees, some of the projects included sidewalk sweeps of State and Depot streets, raking and sprucing up The Finish Shop Pocket Park, trimming shrubs at the island located at the four corners near CVS Pharmacy, and pruning and weeding land near the Clarks Summit clock tower.
“I thought it was a great way for us to show support for the community – visibility and involvement,” said Rees. “That’s what our mission is all about. We have to be good stewards of the community…
“Last year, I coordinated the supplies through the Great American Cleanup web site, which is actually supported by Keep America Beautiful and PennDOT,” Rees said. “So luckily, I was able to get all the gloves, vests and the garbage bags through them at the Morgan Highway location. The nice thing is they gave me so much stuff I had enough left over from last year to reuse it this year.”
Dori Waters, Abington Area Community Classroom (AACC) and The Gathering Place co-founder, said among the projects she tackled was sweeping debris along Depot Street and she also weeded a flower bed under the clock tower.
“I think people have to be very conscious not to litter,” said Waters.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Emily Rancier, another AACC and The Gathering Place co-founder, was busy cleaning windows of the former Clarks Summit Fire Company, the future home of The Gathering Place.
While crews were in the downtown area, Janet Loewe, Clarks Summit, dropped off unwanted papers at the Shred Fest set up in the parking lot of the Clarks Summit Elementary School on Grove Street.
“I’m getting rid of outdated tax and old financial papers. I’m in the process of trying to get rid of a lot of stuff,” she said.
Frontier Communications and Lawler partnered the project to give the community an opportunity to dispose of bags or boxes of bills, letters and other paper items. Proceeds from a $5 donation benefit The Finish Shop Pocket Park. Jonah Jacobs, 10, of Scout Troop 160, was also on hand to help in the parking lot.
Sue Van Horn, Frontier Communications local manager, said the flow of cars was steady throughout the morning.
“One of our Frontier values is using resources wisely…Recycling is very important to us and we found this is a win-win,” said Van Horn. “It’s a great opportunity for us to do something for the community and the community is responding very well to it. We chose to do it this time of year because last year when we talked with people, they suggested doing this immediately after tax time. People are going through their papers and purging. It (the project) has worked.”
Clarks Summit Borough councilwoman, Gerrie Carey, noted, “The truck (shredder truck provided by Scott A. and Brenda Davis of Paper Easters) holds 7,000 lbs. (of paper) and that will go back to the Clarks Summit borough for our recycling. We get reimbursed for that.”