DOW grant will fund island park cleanup

By: 
Staff report

          First Ward Alderman John Persic Jr. applied for a DOW community grant of $1,000, and reported last week the money will be used to fund a cleanup effort in the South Island Park.

       "I thought it would be a good idea to do, since we had the flooding. A lot of people complained about the parks," Persic said during last Wednesday's Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting.

  The volunteer workday is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, tentatively from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

     Alderman Persic said DOW will also provide four to eight volunteers, and he will contact Scout groups and other local organizations to find additional helpers.

First Ward Alderman Kevin Kirwin said a dumpster may be needed for the debris that will be picked up.

   Persic regularly goes down to the island parks and cleans up the garbage that the raccoons have gotten strewn about, and said the committee needs to come up with a way to secure the cans to reduce the amount of garbage blowing across the island.

   "If you have ideas, let me know... we'll see if we can do a little sprucing up down there," he said.

    Volunteers who would like to help can contact Persic at 815-210-5155.