LAUREL, Md. —聽Spring is finally here. To celebrate on Saturday, some Laurel residents went out to enjoy the weather and do a bit of spring cleaning at Riverfront Park.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a shopping cart down by the bridge,” says Vicky Phelps. “I saw it [Friday] and I was thinking in my head, gee I hope there鈥檚 a river clean-up.”
On Saturday morning, Vicky and her husband, David Phelps, took part in the annual Patuxent River clean-up. The river is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
She says they either run or walk through the park almost聽every day, so they’re happy to give back.
Mike Lhotsky, Laurel Parks and Recreation director, says this is the 13th year for the river clean up at the park. The coordinate the event.
Lhotsky says there are groups that maintain the river on a daily basis. 鈥淏ut today is a day where we come out as a group and help clean it up and get some stuff out of the river,” he says. “And we do it also to help with our park, Riverfront Park to keep the park looking good.”
Mike Leszcz, Laurel City Councilman At-Large, says, 鈥淭he goal here is to keep the trash out of the river. If it gets in the river, it gets down in the Chesapeake Bay and into the ocean then you have these flotillas of plastic bottles and plastic bags.鈥�
A unique feature about the Patuxent is that it鈥檚 the only river that is fully-contained within the state of Maryland.
鈥淲e use this park a lot actually. I figured it would be a good way to give back,鈥� says Harry Stello.聽 He is the father of twin seven year old boys, Harry and Hunter Stello.
He also refers to their friend Jackson Wilde, who鈥檚 also seven years old, as kind of his adopted son because Wilde is with them a lot.
Stello says he told the three boys they were heading to the park to help clean up. The boys didn鈥檛 have a problem with it, actually they seemed to enjoy themselves. Even at a young age, they still can help out.
