South students spruce up the neighborhood

About 35 South High School students braved freezing cold temperatures to cleanup the neighborhood on Nov. 24. The Music Department organized the event, but it was open to all students at South.

Band director Dan Creegan, who spearheaded the “Adopt-a-Block” event, deemed it a success but said the cold weather likely kept some people away. Students cleaned up trash around South, the adjacent Robert W. Carbonaro School, and surrounding streets.

Creegan said the students collected 12 bags of garbage, but much of it was small items like gum wrappers and cigarette butts. “It added up quick,” he said. All students were given rubber gloves.

The idea for the clean-up came up in discussion among teachers. They decided to schedule it as the kick-off event to the school’s annual Unity Week.

Creegan would like to make the clean-up an annual event, and would like to expand it into the Mill Brook neighborhood, and across Mill Road into the village. Adopt-a-Block, he explained, is about developing strong character in students and instilling pride in their community.

-Andrew Hackmack