By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY – Senior Writer
A cadre of devoted volunteers showed up at Lake Gregory’s North Shore parking lot bright and early on Saturday morning, May 6, eager to begin cleaning up trash and debris around the perimeter of the lake and along Crestline’s Lake Drive business district.
The morning began with pastries and coffee during a briefing by event coordinator Michael Alcorn, who described the territory to be cleaned and handed out trash bags, gloves and tongs used to pick up trash and debris.
This, the eighth annual community cleanup, was sponsored by the Lake Gregory Yacht Club, the Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary Club, Lake Gregory Company and the Crestline Chamber of Commerce. This was the first of two cleanup events in 2023, with the next one scheduled for October. This only necessary because many of our summertime visitors, unfortunately, leave town without cleaning up the trash, cigarette butts, fishing line, candy wrappers, dirty diapers and other debris typically found scattered around the shoreline of Lake Gregory and other areas of Crestline.
Following the briefing, volunteers set out in small groups in both directions around the lake. One group headed over to the South Shore parking lot and immediately began picking up cigarette butts, paper and cardboard debris, fast food cups and containers and single-use liquor bottles.
Donna Cortez picks up a nearly empty Irish whiskey bottle.
Asked how she learned about the event, Crestline resident Donna Cortez said she heard about it on social media sites such as Crestline Happenings and the chamber of commerce website. When asked what types of trash she was finding, she shared that it was mostly cigarette butts, paper and cardboard products, beer and soda cans, bottle caps and single-use liquor bottles. As for unusual or unexpected trash, Cortez mentioned condoms and a nearly empty bottle of Irish whiskey.
The morning began with pastries and hot coffee.
When all was said and done, Alcorn said a total of 140 pounds of assorted refuse was collected. “Much more trash was picked up by (Yacht Club) Commodore Doug Howardell in the Lake Drive business district than around the lake,” Alcorn added.
Good job and happy to see the Lake Gregory Yacht Club is alive and supporting the community.
Now just cleanup the collapsed building in Crest Forest Drive and the neighborhood will look better. 90 days is too long for the Yacht Club to look like this. After all the July fireworks is supposed to show Crestline’s best face.
Yes Debbie if the collapsed yacht club building was down the mountain it would have been cleaned up by now. Come on yacht club get with it and cleanup YOUR mess.