May 10, 2006
Wednesday

The North Tongass cleanup scheduled for April 15, was snowed out but two groups have worked hard since then to improve the looks of the community. We owe a big "Thank you!" to the groups that cleaned up Mile 13 and mile 15 North Tongass, including the church group mentioned by Michael Fitzgerald on Sitnews (May 07, 2006). I drove along North Tongass and was surprised with the amount of trash that was collected. I took a picture of one of the piles but it doesn't begin to show the amount of trash that they picked up. They did a great job. Your efforts are appreciated.

In contrast, the slobs have also been at work dumping trash and burning things along Revilla Road. The trash dumped and burned by the future ball field near the Salvage Trail off Revilla Rd. and the wire rope spool and tire burned by the new Ketchikan Hot Shots Paintball League field at Mile 4.2 Revilla Rd. The youth of the community have worked hard to create the field and members of the community have donated their time, talents, ideas and materials to provide an alternative place for people to recreate. They don't need this type of action to turn their area into a dump area with trash and burned material. We hope you attend the Hot Shots Grand Opening on May 21st (Ty Rettke, Sitnews, May 04, 2006) to see what they and the supporting members of the community have accomplished with the leadership of the young adults.

Also in contrast to the people cleaning up N. Tongass and the Hot Shots, is the vehicle dumped on private property at about mile .5 of Revilla Rd. I just finished talking with the property owner who wants the vehicle removed. This is an example of what happens when you don't take responsibility for disposing of a clunker of a vehicle the proper way. The vehicle was sold or given to some young person who, when it broke down on Revilla Rd., decided that he and his buddies should bust all the windows and trash the car. The owner who thought that he was getting rid of a problem vehicle will now have to pay more to remove it and clean up the mess. The good Samaritan who tried to help them get the vehicle started, later observed the kids throwing rocks through the windows and trashing the vehicle. Now you can enjoy looking at it on your way to Ward Lake or drive your visiting friends to Lake Harriet Hunt.

We will be having the cleanup of areas along N. Tongass and Revilla Rd. on Saturday, May 13th starting at 9:00 am at Mile 15.3 North Tongass. After we get areas of North Tongass cleaned up, we will move to Revilla Road to get the areas that the slobs have trashed since we cleaned it up last year. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, beans and sodas will be available for participants at the Ward Lake RAC shelter, which the Forest Service has donated for our use, after we are done.

If you or your group would like to sponsor the cleanup of a mile of Ketchikan's roads, please feel free to contact Nick Farstad at the Division of Highways, phone 225-2513, he and many of the rest of us would appreciate your efforts.

I hope that you will join us in the cleanup Saturday to show your support for the community and to help clean up Ketchikan.

Jerry Cegelske
Ketchikan, AK - USA


About: Code Enforcement Officer for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and cleanup organizer.

 

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