Although Monday is the nationally celebrated Earth Day, Troy began its celebration Saturday with clean up initiatives at neighboring parks.
Beman and Prospect Parks were just two of the 37 Troy park sites selected for community service. Participating community neighborhood organizations selected and organized work under the coordination of the City Council President Harry Tutunjian.
Michele DeLair, acting president of Beman Park Neighborhood Association, organized and coordinated the clean up of Beman Park. With the aid of the RPI and Troy communities, the neighborhoood association’s e-mail list, and neighbors who passed at flyers door-to-door, this event was made possible. The entire clean up at Beman Park was steadily maintained by approximately 10 people, with nine others casually helping out.
Other neighborhood organizations participating in the clean-up included Friends of Prospect Park, Mt. Ida Neighborhood Association, and Hillside Neighborhood Association.
Major park tasks, such as installing playground material and tree maintenance, are typically maintained by Troy. Beman Park Neighborhood Association does most other small tasks, said Community Specialist Craig Pettinger of City Hall.
The task detailed primarily involved raking and bagging layers of compost leaves and picking up unattended garbage—essentially broken beer bottles. Mocking the quantity of brandname beer bottles about the park, David Snowden shouted, “Labbatt’s wins,” Snowden further commented on the misuse of the park, “it’s the RPI students mostly those yuppie ones. They party too much and all they do is drink [beer].”
Pi Kappa Alpha brothers have been helping the parks maintenance over the past year. Members of Zeta Beta Tau, Kappa Nu Kappa, and the Pikes participated in the Beman Park cleanup event.
