Volunteers clean up Americana Drive
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| Most of these girls are students at Poe Middle School. |
If Americana Drive in Annandale looks lot nicer today, it’s
because about 80 volunteers took part in a cleanup event on Presidents’ Day.
They collected 352 bags of trash – beer bottles,
coffee cups, diapers, fast food wrappers, and much more – and many large items,
such as couches, construction debris, discarded Christmas trees, and car parts
along the wooded area between Americana Drive and the beltway sound wall.
coffee cups, diapers, fast food wrappers, and much more – and many large items,
such as couches, construction debris, discarded Christmas trees, and car parts
along the wooded area between Americana Drive and the beltway sound wall.
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| Volunteers find plenty of trash along Americana Drive. |
The event was organized by Amy Gould, a resident of Lafayette
Forest Condominium and a member of the Fairfax County Restoration Project, with
lots of help from Friends of Accotink Creek. The Annandale Rotary Club donated
$100 for snacks for the volunteers.
Forest Condominium and a member of the Fairfax County Restoration Project, with
lots of help from Friends of Accotink Creek. The Annandale Rotary Club donated
$100 for snacks for the volunteers.
VDOT provided trash bags and hauled the trash away, and Fairfax
County police officers patrolled Americana Drive to ensure volunteers’ safety.
County police officers patrolled Americana Drive to ensure volunteers’ safety.
The volunteers included residents of the condominium and
apartment complexes lining Americana, members of environmental groups,
students, Scouts, and people who heard about the cleanup event online.
apartment complexes lining Americana, members of environmental groups,
students, Scouts, and people who heard about the cleanup event online.
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| Tommy Tran (left), a student at Poe Middle School, and Garion Neuse, a 10th-grader at Oakton High School and a member of Boy Scout Troop 1978. |
Among the items collected by Tommy Tran, an eighth-grader at
Poe Middle School who earned community service hours for volunteering, was a
$20 bill and, ironically, a flyer seeking volunteers for the cleanup event.
Poe Middle School who earned community service hours for volunteering, was a
$20 bill and, ironically, a flyer seeking volunteers for the cleanup event.
Another Poe student found a drug needle along with a large
number of beer bottles and other trash. Among the other finds were a wallet
with an ID card inside and a box of bullets, both of which were turned over to the
police.
number of beer bottles and other trash. Among the other finds were a wallet
with an ID card inside and a box of bullets, both of which were turned over to the
police.
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| Rick Pratt (left) a resident of Brook Hills and an Annandale High School alum, and Gilbert Alvarado, of the Vistas of Annandale, fill up a pickup truch with trash. |
“Being out here really makes you believe in the need for a
bottle deposit law and a plastic bag tax,” said Bruce Atkinson, a member of
Friends of Lake Accotink.
bottle deposit law and a plastic bag tax,” said Bruce Atkinson, a member of
Friends of Lake Accotink.
Joyce Briley, 76, a resident of Tall Trees South, took part in the cleanup despite having an artificial hip. She said she had contacted
county officials about the trash on Americana Drive but never heard back.
county officials about the trash on Americana Drive but never heard back.
For years, construction contractors have used the wooded area in the Annandale Drive easement as a dumping ground for leftover wood and other materials, while residents regularly
dropped off broken furniture.
dropped off broken furniture.
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| A cleanup crew from the Vistas of Annandale. |
The huge amount of trash along Americana “is really dragging
down the community,” said Gould. Also, the many commercial trucks with two wheels
parked on the easement are disturbing the soil, adding to the sediment in
Accotink Creek, which “taxpayers are spending money on to restore,” she said. One solution would be to restrict parking to the other side of the street.
down the community,” said Gould. Also, the many commercial trucks with two wheels
parked on the easement are disturbing the soil, adding to the sediment in
Accotink Creek, which “taxpayers are spending money on to restore,” she said. One solution would be to restrict parking to the other side of the street.
“We want residents to have pride in where they live,” said
Dawn Miller, the vice president of marketing for the Vistas of Annandale, who
brought about 15 Vistas residents. She hopes the cleanup event will give people
an incentive to keep the area free of litter.
Dawn Miller, the vice president of marketing for the Vistas of Annandale, who
brought about 15 Vistas residents. She hopes the cleanup event will give people
an incentive to keep the area free of litter.
The Vistas will host more cleanups, Miller said, “so it doesn’t
get to this point again.”
get to this point again.”
Many thanks to Amy and all of the wonderful volunteers!
We need to do this to several parts of our wonderful community! Thanks to Amy and all the volunteers!
Way to go everyone.. Hopefully it's not trashed again so quickly.. If I lived facing that road, I would put up some cameras..
Very fulfilling, and time well spent. Let's keep this beautiful community CLEAN!!
Wow, thank you all!
What became clear is that Corona Beer is the preferred beer of people who litter.
Most interesting find was the bowling ball !!
More pictures of these awesome volunteers and the event here:
https: //hku60.smugmug.com/FACC/FACCCleanups/FACC-Cleanup-AmericanaDrive-021819/
KUDOS to these local heroes! It's encouraging to see that there are still people who actually CARE about the community and the land. How can a community NOT teach people about respecting the land and taking care of what we have been given? Wonderful work, people!