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Mitchell High School Senior Is Cleaning Up

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SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF REPORT

Published: April 1, 2009

Kelsey Dunn is really cleaning up.

Kelsey, a senior at J.W. Mitchell High School, had been searching and searching for a worthy cause to serve as her senior project. She wanted something that would have the most impact on the community.

So she organized a cadre of 39 volunteers and supporters to remove tons of illegally dumped debris from wetlands along scenic Strauber Memorial Highway near Trouble Creek Road.

The area was about to become part of a Pasco County environmental preserve, so the volunteers wanted the site to look its best. Illegal dumping has been a chronic problem in the area.

Make Mine Bluegreen rallied to the student's cause. The Holiday-based nonprofit organization works to clear debris from land and sea and provides support for cleanup events.

While the final tally isn't available yet, the cleanup crusaders might wind up having removed as much as 30 tons of junk from this waterfront area, according to Princess Obriot, founder and president of Make Mine Bluegreen.

A photo gallery has been posted online at www.myspace.com/makemine_bluegreen>.

The cleanup crews will roll up their sleeves again Saturday, April 18, for an Earth Day event along the fishing pier at the county's Anclote Gulf Park, 2305 Baillies Bluff Road, plus some surrounding shoreline mangroves.

At the March cleanup, 20 of the 39 volunteers were students as young as 5 and 6 years old.

Solid-waste firm Accurate Waste Systems arranged for six, huge trash bins for the event free of charge and emptied the containers for free. Keep Pasco Beautiful provided bags, some vests and gloves. The county utilities department lent two large orange road caution signs.

It took only about an hour and a half to fill the six, huge bins, Obriot reported.

The volunteer crews removed three sofas, two loungers, six chairs, three microwave ovens, 12 television sets, two computers, a small refrigerator, the remains of two above-ground swimming pools, a boat, two dressers, six lamps, 15 tires, piles of roofing shingles and much, much more.

"It fills my mind with anger and makes my heart ache to see such disregard and unremorseful, hostile treatment of our world and the things that make it beautiful," Obriot wrote later in a message to supporters. "But I am also grateful for those who willingly give of themselves to make things better."

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