They Cleaned Up Shelton

A record 640 volunteers were involved with the sixth annual Shelton Clean Sweep held in April, removing litter from parks, roadways, school grounds, and waterways, said Shelton Conservation Agent Theresa Gallagher.

The litter removed from the city included 340 large plastic bags, (65 cubic yards), 2,575 pounds of scrap metal, (three full pickup trucks), as well larger items such as tires, vinyl siding, and mattresses, she said.

Participants will be recognized by the Anti-Litter Committee and Mayor Mark Lauretti at 7 p.m. on June 12 at City Hall, when honors will be given.

The Clean Sweep award winners for 2013 are: 

• Housatonic River Cleanup, Inc. - "Housatonic River Champions" - Special recognition for this mega-cleanup event in Shelton, Stratford, and Milford. This year, on the Shelton portion of the river alone, 168 people removed an estimated 65 cubic yards from the river and piled it up at the Sunnyside boat ramp.  This annual event has been held each year even before the Clean Sweep Program began six years ago.
  
  
• Boy Scout Troop 28 - "Heavy Metal Champions" for removing 2,500 lbs of debris, mostly scrap metal, from the Wiacek open space, where the debris had been lingering for years. This troop has won the "Volunteer of the Year" award the previous three years.
  
  
• Shelton Land Trust - "Best Find" - for pulling an old motorcycle out of the woods, along with  three pickup trucks worth of junk from the Land Trust open space adjacent to Wake Robin Drive.
  
  
• Cub Scout Pack 27 - "Volunteer of the Year" - Civic Group category for removing 41 bags of litter from East Village Park. The Pack last year received a "Mount Trashmore" award.

• Tighe & Bond - "Volunteer of the Year" - Business category, for removing 25 large garbage bags of litter from parts of Isinglass Road and Huntington Street where they border Aquarion watershed lands.

• George Waters - "Volunteer of the Year" - Individual category for cleaning up the banks of the Housatonic River by canoe and kayak year round and cleaning up around the Shelton Canal, removing about 30 large bags and other assorted debris from the waterways.