The County Press

Lapeer Youth Council gathers 100 bags of litter during cleanup




The task was to clean the vacant lot adjacent to East Street in Lapeer.

The task was to clean the vacant lot adjacent to East Street in Lapeer.

LAPEER — There’s a vacant lot adjacent to East Street in Lapeer that’s known among locals as one of the most littered-on slices of land in the city.

No longer, thanks to the Lapeer City Superheroes.

The fledging community activism group, led by the Lapeer Youth Council and liaison Joshua Atwood, Lapeer City Commissioner, tackled the daunting clean-up project, and with the help of two dozen volunteers, the Lapeer Police Dept., City of Lapeer and Rick Rhein Disposal, what once was an eyesore in the heart of Lapeer is now pristine.

Saturday saw volunteers gather in the rain to do their part to make Lapeer beautiful. In all, 23 volunteers gathered 100 garbage bags worth of litter and trash, along with some larger items — in only two hours and 15 minutes.

According to Atwood, the crew found all manner of oddity among the refuse. “We found $46 collectively, cinder blocks, bricks, an old vent pipe, an old wooden for sale sign, some styrofoam insulation,” he said. “It was mostly loose garbage, a lot of it. There was soil growing over top of garbage.”

Lapeer Police Chief Dave Frisch provided volunteers a safety presentation prior to the clean-up, as well as puncture-resistant gloves and sharps containers, just in case.

Lapeer Police Chief Dave Frisch provided volunteers a safety presentation prior to the clean-up, as well as puncture-resistant gloves and sharps containers, just in case.

Sam Howard, a Lapeer High School student and Lapeer Youth Council treasurer, said it was a “good feeling” to have made a tangible difference in his hometown. “Doing something like that is rewarding because you know that someone is going to drive by and think of how clean it looks,” he said. “And when you look at the before and after, it’s amazing to see the huge difference that we made.”

Saturday’s cleanup was the first official action of the Lapeer City Superheroes program, an initiative designed to be a hybrid beautification and civil engagement program. Atwood said with the group’s relative nascency and the inclement weather on Saturday, he was “super nervous” leading up to the big day. “People had been messaging me asking if we were still going out there or rescheduling,” he said. “I reminded them that we are City Superheroes and we will be out there no matter the weather. I would rather get dirty with individuals like that than play politics in a suit and tie. There is a time to make decisions and lead at City Hall and a time to get your work clothes on and put in some work.”

Lapeer High School student, Lapeer Youth Council Treasurer and Lapeer City Superhero Sam Howard helped organize Saturday’s cleanup.

Lapeer High School student, Lapeer Youth Council Treasurer and Lapeer City Superhero Sam Howard helped organize Saturday’s cleanup.

Joining the City Superheroes for a safety presentation was Lapeer Police Dept. Chief Dave Frisch. He provided volunteers with puncture resistant gloves, sharps containers and tips on what to do if they find broken glass, rusty nails or used medical paraphernalia. “Whenever you’re cleaning up an area like that, you don’t know what you’re coming in contact with,” said Frisch.

It turned out, said Frisch, they were acting out of an “abundance of caution,” as no such dangerous material was unearthed. “They did an amazing job, they had people from the very young to adults,” he said. “The weather did not cooperate but they showed up.”

Once the garbage was collected and what once was a field of trash became a mountain of trash bags, workers from Rick Rhein Disposal collected the bags, free of charge. Lapeer City Manager Dale Kerbyson was instrumental in securing a little positive reinforcement for volunteers as well, working with McDonald’s on M-24, who donated 25 food certificates as well as five gallons of fruit punch.

There was plenty to do for superheros of all ages.

There was plenty to do for superheros of all ages.

To keep the plot of land clean after the volunteers put in the effort, Frisch said he and the city will be working with business owners in the area to take “good, responsible steps” to curtail the amount of litter that ends up in the tree line and tall grass of the vacant lot.

Atwood said the cleanup was made possible by the contributions of several people and organizations during the formation of Lapeer City Superheroes. “I want to thank the City Commission for approving The Youth Council and Lapeer City Superheroes and giving me the opportunity to be the liaison,” he said. “(And) a huge shout-out to all those involved, volunteerism is the backbone of a community.”

In all, volunteers collected 100 bags worth of detritus.

In all, volunteers collected 100 bags worth of detritus.

After photo of the cleaned up vacant lot located off East Street. Photos courtesy Joshua Atwood

After photo of the cleaned up vacant lot located off East Street. Photos courtesy Joshua Atwood