THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210215
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Eric Feber
LENGTH: 62 lines
JUNK ON THE WATERWAYS
As they've done for the past five years, the Deep Creek Ruritans took to Chesapeake's waterways for the annual Clean the Bay Day campaign June 8.
The civic club launched its own fleet of boats to help clean up Chesapeake's streams, bays and wetlands.
``We call it our Deep Creek Ruritan flotilla,'' said Mike Kirsch, zone governor for all Ruritan Clubs of Hampton Roads and a Deep Creek Ruritan member. ``We had 12 boats out there. We had a wide-ranging fleet of boats, too.''
Kirsch said the clean-up craft ranged from a 26-foot cabin cruiser, which served as the campaign's floating headquarters, to a two-man canoe.
The Deep Creek effort began at 8 a.m. at the Deep Creek Lock Park with a quick breakfast and safety talk.
``We just wanted to tell our workers not to walk around the water's edge, where snakes may dwell,'' Kirsch said. ``Luckily, the talk worked, no one was injured that day.''
After that, all volunteers were issued plastic trash bags donated by the Mobil Oil Co. and the cleanup was under way. Kirsch said his crew worked until about noon. All trash was dumped in a solid waste container brought to the launch site by the city's solid waste removal unit.
For their efforts, the city hauled away over 23,000 pounds of debris, trash and litter.
``We brought out three towing hawsers, which are these long thick ropes used by tugs to haul barges,'' Kirsch said. ``We also took in 11 tires. It's a shame that nowadays people still dispose of their tires by throwing them into the waters.''
Kirsch also said his crew found two barnacle-encrusted gasoline motors, as well as the usual debris.
``We also collected bottles, drink cans, Styrofoam cups and lots and lots of cigarette butts,'' he said.
Interestingly enough Kirsch said he and the other Ruritan volunteers hardly found any trash near the lock park or the boat launch site. Most of the junk hauled out of the water was found near the I-64 drawbridge.
``That tells me boaters aren't the ones littering the waters,'' he said. ``Most of the trash probably came from motorists crossing the bridge and using the water as their personal trash can.''
Anyone still interested in purchasing a Clean The Bay Day T-shirt to help defray the cost of the cleanup can do so by contacting Kirsch at 487-6122.
STUDENTS AT CARNEGIE HALL
Remember the old joke?
Q. How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
A. Practice, practice, practice!
It seems like three talented young Chesapeake singers heeded that advice and literally ended up at the famed New York City concert hall.
On May 26, Jay Lewter, Erin Stephens and Denise James, members of the Longwood College Camerata Singers, appeared in a Carnegie Hall performance of Gabriel Faure's ``Requiem'' with the New England Symphonic Ensemble under the direction of guest conductor Stephanie A. Henry and music director Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse.
The Camerata Singers of Farmville were among eight choruses that performed.
Lewter, Stephens and James are former students of Carolyn Myers, choral director at Great Bridge High School. by CNB