350 aid in township cleanup

More than 350 West Milford residents rallied for the township’s semiannual Beautification Day on Saturday, April 22.

Volunteers worked on their own or in groups to clean up designated areas of litter and waste.

They collected a total of 500 to 700 bags of garbage, 300 to 500 bags of recycling items, 2 tons of metal, and 60 to 75 tires.

After the cleanup, the volunteers were treated to a free picnic at Bubbling Springs, featuring: food, music, raffles and prizes for the most valuable, oldest and most unusual things found.

The town-wide cleanup was organized by the West Milford Beautification Committee and spearheaded by David Stires, the township’s coordinator of recycling and solid waste. He has held that job for the past 17 years.

“I love this day, it shows real West Milford Township pride,” he said while expressing appreciation for the volunteers and the organizations and businesses that made the day possible. Those include the Elks Club, Clean Communities and ShopRite.

“The way the town comes together is amazing.”

Volunteer Kathy Manger said, “It’s a good project, but it’s sad that people see the roadside as a garbage can.”

Stires said he has seen the most litter of his entire career this year. The worst site was Norvin Green Forest off Otterhole Road, he noted. “Most trash is found in open areas where there are no homes.”

Littering and illegal dumping has been a problem for years and has continued to increase. In 2017, Stires and local officials pushed for cameras to be placed in the open areas where most of it occurs.

In March 2021, a driver was arrested for dumping the contents of a septic truck in a storm drain, he pointed out as an example of the continuing problem.