Because the Earth deserves a good cleanup in North Woodmere

The image of a Native American shedding a tear after trash was thrown from a car on a highway was of the most enduring images of a 1970s Keep America Beautiful television commercial to increase awareness of pollution.

If one was at the Sunday volunteer clean up by Hook Creek near Rosedale Road and Park Lane in North Woodmere it appears that despite Earth Day – April 22 – existing for the past 52 years, the commercial’s message has been lost.

The 14 “cleaners” who picked up trash found assorted debris as small as food condiment wrappers to a rusting boat motor lodged at the bottom of the waterway. The group filled 45 good-sized trash bags.

“I started when my daughter was at Ogden Elementary [School] for her class to experience community service,” said North Woodmere resident Bob Feldman, saying that it was either 2005 or 2006. “You try to see if you can make a difference.”

New fencing was recently installed by Nassau County and there are small rectangular signs attached to the fencing that read “Nassau County NO DUMPING,” to no avail as a hearty amount of debris litters the waterway land from children’s toy balls to a patio umbrella.

County Legislator Carriè Solages who represents the area joined the cleanup for a brief time and filled a few bags and even found a bottle of prescription drugs among the trash he collected. He is concerned that all the debris finds its way into the creek which eventually flows into Jamaica Bay.

“We addressed this with the county, spoke to DPW (Department of Public Works) and got the new fencing,” said Solages, one of five Democratic candidates vying to fill Kathleen Rice’s seat. The others are County Legislator Siela Bynoe, Malverne Mayor Keith Corbett, former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen and Westbury resident Kevin Shakil-Mendez.

Mikayla Kotlyar, 14, accompanied her father, Gary, who along with fellow North Woodmere residents Konstanin Grinberg and his daughters Eliana, 9, and Olivia, 6, took part in the cleanup. “It helps the community and saves the environment,” Mikayla said as she picked up trash and placed it in a trash bag. “My dad loves doing this stuff and I do enjoy being out here.”

Leading the cleanup for so long and seeing so much debris year after year, Feldman was asked if he feels as if he’s tilting at windmills.

“I’d rather be out here tilting at windmills than let the movie go by and never make a change,” he said, as he placed another piece of garbage in the trash bag.