Despite cold temperatures and some sprinkles, enthusiasm soared as students from Armbrust Wesleyan Christian Academy and their parents helped with a cleanup on Saturday, May 13. Twelve students in second through eighth grades joined members of the Sewickley Creek Watershed Association in cleaning up along the creek and Armbrust Road between the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 354 building and Armbrust. Students and parents worked on removing trash from the rough cut of the proposed bike trail, filling 35 garbage bags, while SCWA members cleaned up along the road. Larger items and tires had been removed in an earlier sweep of the area.
It was the first time that Armbrust Wesleyan Christian Academy partnered with the association. "The folks loved it," said Robin Yothers, a parent who helped plan the school's participation through the PTA's Community Awareness Group. "I personally loved how organized it was, how safe it was." The children worked on the trail away from the road.
"The kids had a ball," she continued. "We felt pretty good about what we did in about three hours," she said of the cleanup effort.
The ciean-up volunteers included: Lynne and Matt Laubham, Robin, Mitch and Emily Yothers, Beth Burns, Maryann, Nicole and Josh McClarren,Cindy and Camdon Porterfield, Rita Naugle, Doug Orbin,Vaughn Neill and Tom Keller.
As such the Association shall use its resources to educate the citizens of the watershed as to sound environmental practices. In addition, the Association will seek out and cooperate with government agencies, interested organizations, businesses and individuals to implement programs to improve water quality and encourage proper land use.