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Town litter committee plans Earth Day cleanup for April 23

Debuting a new name in preparation for the townwide cleanup in celebration of Earth Day, the Riverhead Town Litter Committee has become more proactive in their fight to keep Riverhead litter-free.

“We’ve gone out, we’re talking to the schools, we’re starting to talk to the civic groups also, because we really feel that we need more awareness about the problem,” committee chair Deborah Wetzel said.

Ms. Wetzel said the committee is also reaching out to businesses and property owners informing them of “a town code that requires property owners to keep their property clean.”

“We’re realizing as a committee that more needs to be done, we can’t just clean up the town two times a year … To date, we’ve gone out to businesses all along [Route] 58,” she said. “We’re starting now to talk to businesses on Main Street, West Main Street, Sound Avenue. Wherever we see litter, we contact the property owner.”

The new approach adds to the workload the committee is taking on and they are hoping to get more volunteers to help with the cause, Ms. Wetzel said.

“We need more volunteers to be on the committee, to help us with this outreach to the community, whether it’s calling businesses, talking to business owners, and working closely with the town so we can get this result,” she said.

The clean-up this year will be held Saturday, April 23, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Volunteers can pick up gloves and bags at Town Hall and register for the location they would like to clean up, according to a statement the organization shared with the media.

Last year there were about 200 volunteers that helped remove litter from 35 streets, parks and beaches.

According to Ms. Wetzel, they already have about 12 to 15 volunteers from Girl Scout Troop 22777 of Shoreham-Wading River.

“They volunteered last time, and it was a mix of Girl Scouts and their parents, which is great,” she said.

This year, the committee is asking for volunteers to “bring at least one garbage bag and to bring their own disposable gloves, because this helps us with the cost,” Ms. Wetzel said.

She hopes this new approach the committee is taking will inspire people to do the right thing and avoid littering.

“I would think that everybody would be concerned about it, she said. “We have a beautiful part of the island out here, let’s keep it that way.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or joining the committee can reach Ms. Wetzel at [email protected].