Town Council honors FOPC and AmeriCorps River Team 5
Members of AmeriCorps River Team 5 are visiting Pulaski County and have already completed several tasks in and around Pulaski. These volunteers have already collected almost 2 and a half tons of trash and will continue their good work in the weeks to come. AmeriCorps River Team 5 includes: Team Leader Craig Kuhnert (green shirt), with team members, Ilya G. Casali, Jeffrey Alan Jacob, Delia Saastamoinen, Luke Cienki, Bing Pfaltzgraff-Carlson, Braedyn Dochterman, and Jenny Adleman. (William Paine photos/Patriot Publishing)
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
Council chambers in the Town of Pulaski Municipal Building was nearly filled to capacity on Tuesday evening, as board members of the Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC) and a group of AmeriCorps volunteers filled most every seat.
Cathy Hanks, President of the Friends of Peak Creek, updated the board on the work the organization has completed in their 12 years of existence. Hanks explained how FOPC began by cleaning and monitoring Peak Creek within town limits, but that their mission has expanded to include all 19 tributaries in the Peak Creek watershed. Hanks added that over the past dozen years, volunteers working with FOPC have picked up 28 tons of trash and 728 tires.
“We have five water quality monitoring locations in Peak Creek and in some tributaries,” said Hanks. “We’re going to have six at the end of the week and we’ve got another person who’s being trained. We also maintain the Dora Bluebird Trail and two pollinator gardens.”
Hanks highlighted how FOPC works with several local nonprofits including the New River Conservancy, the Pulaski County Library, the Raymond F. Ratcliff Transportation Museum and the Fine Arts Center for the NRV. Naturally, they accept all volunteer efforts to help clean the creek.
“Bravo Company of the Virginia Corps of Cadets, for some reason, seem to have adopted us and when they call, we never say no,” said Hanks.
The last time Bravo Company came to Pulaski County, they went to work on the Case Knife Road area, where they collected two tons of trash and 356 tires in just one day.
Bravo Company is coming back to Pulaski on April 19 to do some more trash collection with FOPC. Before that happens FOPC will join the AmeriCorps River Team 5 volunteers in the parking lot behind the Senior Center at 10 a.m. this Saturday, April 5 for a Spring Cleanup. The public is welcome to join in the effort, which will focus on cleaning downtown Pulaski.
The public is also invited to come to the Peak Creek Family Fun Day, which is slated to take place at Heritage Park on Saturday, July 19.
“Everything we do involves the stewardship of the Peak Creek watershed and the quality of the water,” said Hanks, as she asked the town leadership to keep financially supporting the Friends of Peak Creek.
Hanks was presented with a certificate of appreciation from the town in recognition of her efforts. Hanks then called all FOPC board members up to the front to share the honor.
Nate Repass, Pulaski’s Outdoor Facilities Manager, updated council on the efforts of the AmeriCorps River Team 5 volunteers who were in attendance.
According to Repass, in the last six days, these AmeriCorps volunteers removed 82 bags or 2.4 tons of litter and 48 tires from the Peak Creek watershed. Additionally, the AmeriCorps volunteers planted 35 trees in the Pulaski Bike Park, spread mulch at the Raymond F. Ratcliffe Transportation Museum, built bird houses for the Friends of Peak Creek and did a deep cleaning of the Pulaski Train Depot.
Their stay was made possible with backing from Friends of Peak Creek, the New River Conservancy and the Aldersgate Methodist Church, which provided housing for the group by allowing them to stay at their parsonage on Bob White Boulevard.
Councilman Joel Burchett Sr. read a certificate of appreciation dedicated to Tom Saxton, Celia White and Sydney Haney who, “worked tirelessly to write the grant application to allow us to host the AmeriCorps River Team 5 … without their support, this project would not have happened.”
“Finally, we would like to thank the AmeriCorps River Team 5 themselves,” Burchett continued. “All the planning and organizing would be nothing without this team of eight talented and hard-working individuals, who have worked to clean and beautify our area.”
AmeriCorps River Team 5 will remain in Pulaski County for most of April with projects including work on the Draper Mountain trails, litter cleanups in the New River and the previously mentioned Pulaski Spring Cleanup on Saturday.
Robbie Morris made his annual pilgrimage to Pulaski’s Town Council to request funds for the 26th Annual Claytor Lake Festival, which is set to occur on June 14 at Claytor Lake State Park.
According to Morris, last year 11,000 people attended the festival, which will again feature a car show, food, arts and crafts, a kid’s fishing tournament and live music. The budget for the Claytor Lake Festival is $42,000, most of which goes toward paying for musicians, banners, trophies, portable restrooms, trash disposal and emergency personnel. Members of the Claytor Lake Festival Committee are unpaid volunteers.
Vice Mayor Brooks Dawson voiced his support for the Claytor Lake Festival and council will vote on funding both the Friends of Peak Creek and the Claytor Lake Festival in an upcoming meeting.
Lastly, the town is sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 in Jackson Park.
