Community’s trash doesn’t stand a chance against Clean-up Crew
Over one year ago, a group of concerned citizens banded together to create the Cornwall Cleanup Crew. It recently celebrated its first anniversary and received a certificate of recognition from Senator James Skoufis.
“It’s absolutely fantastic that a group of residents started this as a small project to clean up the community and it grew into this organization that is going out every weekend,” said Supervisor Josh Wojehowski. “They’ve started a movement here. It’s very rare you see this sort of thing nowadays so I’m proud it happened here in Cornwall. It speaks to our history as the birthplace of the modern environmental movement with the Storm King decision. That’s all you need to know about our community and about how important it is that we want to live in a clean environment and preserve what we have. I’m glad this group of residents is continuing to do this and that they’re going to grow this organization.”
The first “clean-up” took place on Jan. 22, 2023. At the time, Bob Rogan, a West Point Tours bus driver and 21-year resident had already spent two months trying to clean up the garbage folks tossed out of their cars. He would regularly see refuse along his route on Quaker Avenue and then he moved to Rt. 9W, but found the job too big for one man to handle. He wrote a Letter to the Editor which appeared in the Dec. 16, 2022 edition of The Cornwall Local asking for volunteers.
Two ladies answered the call and eventually the group grew to about 10 individuals. As the year went on, the Cleanup Crew grew to 60 to 75 members with 15 to 30 volunteers chipping in each week. Among the volunteers have been students from Cornwall High School and Storm King School.
Each week the group meets at 10 a.m. on Sunday in the Cornwall Plaza parking lot and chooses a new section of roadway to focus on. According to volunteer and president Tracy Andrews, the volunteers have been all over Rt. 32 from Solid Rock Church to the Highway Department. The sections they’ve cleared they’ve had to return to. Trash has been removed from Rt. 9W on Storm King Mountain many times, as well as Quaker Avenue, Willow Avenue, Rt. 218, and the exits off Rt. 9W. Volunteers have cleared Otterkill Road and Jackson Avenue and have worked with Riverkeeper to clear Shore Road, as well as helped flood victims in Highland Falls.
“It’s been an entirely successful year of Sundays as word has spread and locals noticed a big difference around the area,” said Andrews and vice president Tania Chacho.
News of the Cornwall Cleanup Crew’s efforts is documented on their Facebook and Instagram pages and they have a website currently under construction. The group’s goal is to expand beyond Cornwall by becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization which widens awareness, as well as unlocks needed funding opportunities.
Other long-term goals include educating the community on the impact of trash on the environment and working with educational, government, non-profit, and private organizations to develop and implement long-term solutions to illegal dumping and facilitate legal means of trash disposal and recycling.
To get involved, reach out on social media or meet the group at 10 a.m. on Sundays near CVS.
