Madaket Road tomorrow!

Dear Friends:

This will be a short message. I am lost in the revelry of a vacation idyll on Nantucket. But litter is on my mind.

Last Saturday, we had a very slim crew, only eight, out in ‘Sconset. The folks out there deserve a better turnout. But we had 14 in Town, and we did our best battling the omnipresent cigarette butts and assorted containers.

This Saturday, August 30, at 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. and rain or shine:

– Meet in Town at the Stop & Shop parking lot; or

– Join us on Madaket Road. Meet at the Sanford Farm Parking Lot.

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. And by that, I mean all of you!

Bill Connell

The Creeks on Saturday

Friends:

We made a difference last Saturday, and it was not easy. We had 9 Members in Town and 12 on the roadways and alleyways/paths in the vicinity of the Big Stop and Shop. The litter out there was astounding! Glad we could help the Cemetery area and Boys and Girls Club. But we could have used a few of those Boys and Girls.

In Town, we bid farewell to Jules. He returned to London. Promises to return next summer.

We have added some new Members to the Team, and I remind all that we meet every Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. for one hour only. We meet in rain or shine, since litter makes no distinctions, very democratic. And you are welcome to come whenever your schedule permits. No nasty looks if you only come once a year. Some nasty remarks, but no nasty looks. (Only kidding, very democratic).

This Saturday, we meet:

1. In Town at the Small Stop & Shop Lot; and
2. The Creeks. Meet at parking area near Sayle’s Seafood, just beyond Great Harbor Yacht Club.

But – Special Event – this Sunday, we reconvene at 8:00 a.m. at Jetties Beach to help the Post-Pops Bacchanal Clean Up. Quite an event! We will try not to wake those who decided to spend the balance of The Night on the beach.

See you on both days.

Bill Connell

Summer 2014 cleaning schedule

All:

 

August?  Are you kidding?  Yes, we must prepare!  Do you 20-30 year olds think, sometimes, time is standing still?

 

Last Saturday was a bonanza for Lady Nantucket: 22 at Surfside, fighting for every piece of litter on every street, dune and beach/shore all the way to Nobadeer.  Six in Town were reduced to picking up cigarette butts, and two of them are still there!  That doesn’t count our Lone Rangers/Adjunk People.  Marching to their own drumbeat on Hooper Farm, Milestone, Polpis Roads (Judi, thanks).  Never saw Milestone as clean. 

 

Nantucket thanks all.

 

Lady Nantucket, you are welcome!  Truth is, you give us and our Families, every day, so much more than we can ever do for you.

 

Let the Cleaning Continue.  Sentimentality yields to plain, old Hard Work.  Where and When?

 

    – Town: Every Saturday, all weather conditions, 8:00 a.m. sharp until 9:00 a.m. in Town.  Meet at Stop and Shop Lot.

 

And then these out-of-Town locations in all weather and only from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.:

 

    – July 26th:  Madaket Beach – stop where the pavement ends on Madaket Road.

 

    – August 2nd: Main Stop and Shop Parking Lot outside of Town.  The perimeter up and down Sparks Avenue and those other streets is in desperate shape.  Looks like Asbury Park.  Not for too much longer.

 

    – August 9th: The Creeks.  Meet at parking area near Sayle’s Seafood, just beyond Great Harbor Yacht Club.

 

    – August 10th: Special Event: Jetties Beach.  We get 100 clams for cleaning post-Pops.  Need help on Sunday at 8:00 a.m.

 

    – August 16th:  Madequesham Beach Area.  Drive down Russell’s Way (off of Milestone).  Turn left after all houses are behind you; then right when you know you are near The Sea.  Plenty of parking, and we will fan out in both directions.

 

    – August 23rd:  ‘Sconset Center – meeting in Codfish Park where the playground/swing set is – not at Sewer Bed area.

 

    – August 30th:  Madaket Road.  Meet at Sanford Farm Parking Lot.

 

Please join us.  It is fun.  Really is.  Remember Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer?  And if you do it as often as the rest of us do, you’ll be fit and ready to compete on a Reality Show (Biggest Loser, Bachelorette, Real Housefraus of Nantucket, etc.).

 

Bill Connell

Cisco Beach on Saturday

Friends:

We have a lot of thanking to do. At least 24 person hours this past weekend. We cleaned Nobadeer Beach on both Saturday and Sunday. Special thanks to David Todd, Tom Quigley plus Surfsiders and the DPW for two construction-size dumpsters. Almost filled both!

Marc and Roxanne continue to wage the good fight along Polpis and Milsteone Roads.

By the way, the Surfers at Nobadeer did a great job cleaning up after The Brethren.

And, being in Town in Peggy’s absence, I am very pleased to report that our DPW is doing a great job of keeping the trash barrels empty. Many thanks; big help.

Even had a roadside conversion. A woman pulled over on Milestone while spotting a Team Member in action (bending over). She joined on the spot! Sort of a Come-to-Moses-Jesus-Mohammed Moment.

This Saturday in two places:

1. Town at 8:00 a.m. – Stop & Shop lot; and
2. Cisco Beach at the end of the pavement- very end of Hummock Pond Road.

See you there.

Bill Connell

Steps Beach this Saturday

Friends:

 

A minor insurrection last Saturday.  15 volunteers at Washing Pond area could not slake their thirst for trash.  Finding too little, these Type A’s decamped to Town where they were met by 15 adoring fans of Your Truly.

 

We resorted to picking (with Pickers! No more bending over!) cigarette butts from among the storied cobblestones of Main Street!  How sick is that?

 

For the few days remaining in June (sigh!) and for July, our schedule remains 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., rain or shine, each Saturday morning:

 

    1.  In Town – Stop & Shop Lot at 8:00 a.m.; and

 

    2.  June 28: Steps Beach.  Meet on Lincoln Circle.  Herb goes under.

 

    3.  July 5: our signature effort: Nobadeer Beach.  Greet the snoozing, younger generation.  Still gloating about the two filled Chassagne-Montrachet bottles strewn near, but a bit distant from, four akimbo sleeping beauties; a memory from five years ago – my youth.  Meet at very end of Nonantum Avenue.

 

    4.  July 12: Cisco Beach – meet at end of Hummock Pond Road.

 

    5.  July 19: Surfside Beach – meet in the parking lot.

 

    6.  Madaket Beach – stop where the pavement ends on Madaket Road.

 

Yours truly,

Bill Connell

Washing Pond Road meetup on Saturday

Friends:

 

A clean dozen left Hummock Pond Road, Somerset, Bartlett and adjacent bike path just about perfect.

 

Sort of like a fading Justin Bieber, my “Q Factor” apparently is not enough.  Only three in Town, and we did as best we could.  (By the way, Town with Fog Horn off in the distance on a misty morning.  Just WOW!  You missed it.)  Having bent over to pick up at least 100 cigarette butts, I have a new respect for our Town Regulars.

 

I am giving them one chance to redeem themselves: this Saturday at 8:00 a.m.:

 

    – in Town: Stop & Shop Lot; or

    – on Sound Beaches: meeting at the parking lot (dirt), a right turn three-fourths of the way down Washing Pond Road.

 

Proud to Serve!

 

Bill Connell

Hummock Pond Road

Dear Friends:

 

What a Saturday morning to be out and about!

 

    – 10 in Town complaining “not enough trash.”  Type As all.  Just wait another two weeks!

 

    – 10 at 4th Milestone: Sconset to Milestone Crossing plus help from our Rock, Roxanne, who clears (almost every day) Rotary to New South Road.  She was awarded an Orange T-Shirt and our undying thanks.

 

Undying thanks also to the Chamber of Commerce for making The Clean Team an honorary member of the Chamber with full privileges – at no cost.  And The Rotary Club – we are mentioned at every meeting.  Same with our I&M and Gene Mahon’s great newsletter.

 

So, the word is out.  We are gaining Members, and some of us are developing Abs of Steel from all the bending.  Now, if we could only sing, dance, act, and hop – we would be hosting the Tony Awards.

 

This Saturday:

 

    – in Town at 8:00 a.m.; and

    – on Hummock Pond Road – Bartlett Farm Road – near Cisco Brewery.  Caution on Parking.  Some tough folks out there.  Bike path and roadsides need help.

 

Thanks to all.  Make this Island Shine!  Like no other.

 

Bill Connell

Milestone Road next!

Friends:

It was a great pleasure for me to return to you and see 25 (or more!) eager Litter Bugs – people bugged about litter.

We cleared at least five miles of Madaket Road and a mile along Cliff Road, bikepaths, etc.  Filled (medium load) John’s truck.

We have new pickers, heavier bags and could not be any happier at our success.  We owe that success to many people: those that have donated funds and supplies (we have about $1,400 in our bank account), those at the I&M and at Gene Mahon’s newsletter which faithfully publicize our efforts, John from DPW and, of course, the many Volunteers who do the Heavy Picking.  We will keep at it.  Here is our June schedule:

Until Peggy returns, I will be in Town each Saturday at 8:00 a.m.  Look for me – smiling, Rain or Shine – near the Stop and Shop entrance.

Our Out-of-Town Experiences will be:

1.  June 7: Fourth Milestone on Milestone Road (just 1/2 mile beyond Russell’s Way).  We will fan out.  Perhaps we can clean from Nobadeer Farm Road to Tom Nevers Road.

2.  June 14: Hummock Pond Road at entrance to Cisco Brewery.  The new bikepath needs help.  My treat at Brewery at 9:00 a.m.!  Let’s blow the $1,400 and go on a Fund Raising Appeal.

3.  June 21: Washing Pond Road, off of Cliff Road Drive down past Pond (on your left), turn right at dirt access cut so we can clean the dunes and the beach.

4.  June 28: Steps Beach off of Lincoln Circle.  Herb promises to go under the stairs.  This beautiful shoreline needs attention.

Great schedule ahead, eh?  Something for everyone.

Bill Connell

The Rotary this Saturday

Friends:

 

Heading East.  Short message.

 

Our next cleaning is this Saturday at 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

 

We will meet at The Rotary.  Fairgrounds and Old South Roads are begging for us!

 

Joining you soon.  Hold your collective breaths…

 

Bill

 

Surfside Beach this Saturday

Friends:

 

We had a large group out near Miacomet Pond and the shoreline last Saturday.  Hauled away at least 80 pounds of debris. 

 

This Saturday (May 17), let’s meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Parking Lot at Surfside Beach.  Keep your eyes open in the shrubbery near those shacks.  Lots of debris tossed into the dunes.

 

Many thanks.

 

Bill Connell