Volunteers passionate about cleaning up Port Chester
June 6, 2019 at 7:21 a.m.
Bridgette Vassil fishes debris out from among the decorative rocks on the Westchester Avenue side of the train station Saturday morning, June 1 as part of a Clean-up Day sponsored by the Port Chester Beautification Commission.
Jennifer Baez and Bridgette Vassil tackled this particularly trash-strewn area visible from the train and from the stairway leading from the tracks down to Westchester Avenue. The two women moved from New York City and bought a house on Park Avenue eight months ago. Commuting to the City every day, Jennifer said “it drives me bananas. It’s not that hard to pick up your garbage.” When they saw the Clean-up Day advertised on Facebook, they jumped at the chance to lend a hand.
Ten-year-old Christopher Burke grabs some trash he found on the corner of East Broadway and Westchester Avenue and drops it into a garbage bag his mother Sharon holds open for him. Also doing her part was Christopher’s twin sister Charlotte. The Burkes live on Fairhaven Lane. The twins will be graduating from King Street School later this month.
Jennifer Williams of Adee Street shovels cigarette butts from the train station parking lot on Broad Street into a bag held by her friend Madeleine Robles of Edison Place. They also cleaned up trash at the Port Chester Marina and on Adee Street. “I think people seeing us clean up helps,” said Williams. The two met while taking Ruth Elizabeth’s Zumba classes on North Main Street several years ago.
Port Chester Beautification Commission members Ann Giannantonio, Marion Murphy, Arianna Christopher and Emily Imbesi organized Saturday’s Clean-up Day. Camped out in front of the Metro-North station, they gave out bags, gloves and trash pickers to volunteers. The Port Chester Department of Public Works picked up the filled garbage bags.
