State Senator Nathalia Fernandez’ office helped organize a community cleanup around Pelham Bay Little League on Sunday, Sept. 20, bringing students, neighbors and local officials together to clear trash from the streets surrounding the fields.
The cleanup took place the day after National CleanUp Day, an annual event held on the third Saturday of September that encourages people across the country to volunteer in parks, trails and other public spaces.
The Pelham Bay effort followed concerns raised by Little League president Natalia Corridori through New York City’s 311 service. The Pelham Bay Belles had also drawn attention to the litter in a video posted online.
Students from Lehman and Cardinal Spellman high schools joined Fernandez’s office, the Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway and local residents. Council Member Shirley Aldebol and her staff helped clean the streets, while Council Member Justin Sanchez came out in support. The Department of Sanitation assisted with removing debris.
Volunteers worked from the Little League fields on Westchester Avenue toward the Hutchinson River Greenway, then along Erickson Place and the Hutchinson River service road to the Samuel H. Young American Legion Post. There, they found a large pile of garbage and leaves and spent more time cleaning the area.
Corridori said the litter around the Legion was especially troubling because “men and women who served our country deserve better.” Residents stopped to thank the volunteers and asked when another cleanup would be held, she added.
The cleanup also led to a longer term improvement. Fernandez helped secure four Sanitation trash bins for the Westchester Avenue corridor, which will soon be deployed. Corridori has requested an additional receptacle near the American Legion. She wants the bins emptied regularly so they do not overflow.
Corridori said the volunteers accomplished a great deal in one day, but keeping the area clean will take continued attention. She is asking city agencies and the MTA to remove graffiti, finish painting the fence and train structures near the fields, address illegal dumping and provide proof that problems reported through 311 have actually been fixed. She also wants enforcement against dog owners who leave waste along sidewalks and the greenway.
“Our cleanup showed how much people love this community,” Corridori said. “I love the Bronx too much to accept these conditions as normal.”
For Corridori, the turnout showed that neighbors are willing to do their part. She hopes the new bins and a stronger response to complaints will help keep the area clean for the children and families who use it every day.
