To the editor:

Clean Up Day in Marion every May demonstrates the essence of community. Many hands make light work! Grateful appreciation goes to all who helped to organize the event as well as to the over 100 volunteers who came out to clean up all our roads and parks in bright yellow safety vests. The day's sponsors were the Tree and Parks Committee, the Sippican Lands Trust, the Historical Society, the Natural History Museum, the Marion Garden Group, and the DPW.

Snacks and coffee were donated by Uncle Jon's, Harriet's, and Rose and Vicki's. Lockheed Martin generously contributed trash bags and gloves. New this year was added support from the Recreation and Police Departments. The students and art teacher at Sippican School provided publicity and posters.

Gifts to Give did their annual Marion drive for used clothing, books, and toys in conjunction with Clean-Up Day and collected enough goods to help 85 kids in need from the New Bedford area as well as baby safety items for 11 new mothers.

This spring, Tabor Academy kicked off its first school-wide Community service day by cleaning up all litter on Point Road and the 195 ramps, and Boy Scout Troop #32 tackled the winter's trash along County Road. The Girl Scouts took charge of Silvershell Beach.

All in all, it was a very successful morning and you can all pat yourselves on the back!

Now…What next?

Wouldn't it be great if we could keep litter off our roads all year long? Increasingly, neighborhoods are doing this. And scout troops and Tabor students will make an effort to provide periodic volunteer efforts to stay on top of the trash problem. The Sippican Lands Trust office next to Uncle Jon's has offered to keep a box of safety vest, gloves, and trash bags for anyone wishing to put in an hour or two doing litter duty anywhere in town. Please consider doing this – whether as a family project, a neighborhood, a class, a troop, or just a group of buddies.

If you have further ideas about keeping Marion more litter free all year, please call Tinker Saltonstall at 508-353-2315.

Tinker Saltonstall, Susan Noonan, Laurie Fearing, and Lisa Whitney
Clean Up Crew