A Most Satisfying Morning

Picking up garbage in Upper Montclair in the pouring rain: What could be more fun, as you can see from the photos above and below!

Intrepid members of the Environment and Civic Beautification Committees and their families, spearheaded by Deborah Hirsch, downed coffee and doughnuts before heading out from member Amy South’s Moss @ More store into the dirty, cold, and very wet world of Upper Montclair.

Clad in neon vests and armed with plastic bags and collapsible trash-pickers, our members spread out through the Upper Montclair Plaza parking lot and surrounding streets, filling up bags of trash ― including some somewhat unexpected objects ― much of which looked like it had been there for months.

Passers-by thanked us, and told us stories of their own recycling efforts. Small children mastered the skill of snapping the jaws of the trash-pickers. After a while, as one member said, “You didn’t even notice the rain!”

Thanks to everyone who showed up: Deborah Hirsch, Amy South, Marie Donnelly, Jacoba Coes, Sarah Olson, Karen Fricke, Denise Silverman and her husband Paul, Sheila Ochs, Sue Young, Allyn Young, and two enthusiastic junior helpers. It was our moment to show our love and concern for the world we live in. Stay tuned for more environmental projects!