Cleaning up Levittown

With garbage bags and rakes in hand, 50 volunteers got down and dirty at the 10th annual Earth Day Cleanup on April 16. Hosted by the Levittown Community Council and Town of Hempstead, and walked the streets with a mission to clean up Levittown and the surrounding areas of North Wantagh.

The event, chaired by Wantagh resident Tom Kohlman, was started 10 years ago as an initiative to bring the community together for Earth Day.  Four major locations were selected to be cleaned, including the East Village Green Park, Wantagh Avenue from Entry Lane to Red Maple Drive South, North Wantagh Avenue at Universe Drive and the garden at Jerusalem Avenue and Meridien Road, which was developed and is maintained by the Council at the East Village Green Park and Pool. 

“This event serves to bring attention to the environment and to the importance of keeping our community clean and attractive,” Council Vice President and event coordinator Louise Cassano said. “The garden at the East Village Green was developed by the Community Council about four years ago and has been maintained by the group. Each year at our Earth Day event, we do new plantings, clean out weeds and debris and keep our fingers crossed that everything we plant will survive.”

Participants from various groups including Brownie and Girl Scout troops, Key Club and National Honor Society, met in the Office Max parking lot on Hempstead Turnpike and Gardiners Avenue and were assigned locations to clean. 

Council board members, Pat Patane, Tom Kohlman, Ginny Isola, Mary Kay Ross, Louise and Mauro Cassano and members and volunteers Don Patane, Michelle Simonetti and Cynthia De La Concha, all contributed to the efforts of the cleanup and kept the event organized. The town and Levittown School District provided equipment, trash bags, gloves and safety vests. 

“The event brings together the people of the community for a common purpose,” Cassano said. “ That is, to beautify the community, thus increasing pride in the community – the mission of the Council.”