Tom Podgers, Nicole Sarlo, Haley Corette and Hilton Mayor Joe Lee. Provided photoThe Village of Hilton and 28 additional city, town and village municipalities in Monroe County all belong to an organization known as the Monroe County Stormwater Coalition. Each year municipalities in the coalition are required to educate the public, and encourage public pollution prevention programs, in compliance with federal storm water regulations to improve water quality and to reduce storm water pollution.
When Village of Hilton Code Enforcement Officer Mike Lissow approached staff at the Quest Elementary school to seek a few people to assist with an endeavor to clean up Hilton’s Village Park and Salmon Creek, under Coalition regulations, the school came back with over 400 willing and enthusiastic participants, including students, teachers and staff. The response was overwhelming. Not only were the participants willing, they were motivated and excited, Lissow said.
Making the endeavor a class project, students Nicole Sarlo, Tom Podgers and Haley Corette helped to organize the event under the supervision of Brenda Carpenter and John Weingart, teachers at Quest.
On May 11, 2012, staff and students donned rubber boots and gloves and carried plastic bags, collecting trash from the creek and park grounds. In addition, participants pulled weeds and spread wood chips around their “outdoor classroom” situated just north of Salmon Creek’s bank, in the park. In the end, an estimated 15 bags of trash were collected, along with a large pile of scrap metal and some discarded tires. Two metal chairs were also pulled from the creek. The metal was then recycled and the trash disposed of by crews from the Hilton Department of Public Works.
“I am very pleased with the results. The project turned out to be an outstanding success,” said Lissow. “I hope to make this an annual event and expand by getting more of the community involved.”
At the Hilton Village Board monthly meeting held on June 5, Nicole, Tom and Haley were recognized by Mayor Joe Lee and the Village Board, for their efforts in organizing the project and were each awarded a certificate and key to the Village of Hilton.
