Colton, Treyger lead clean sweep of Bensonhurst

June 1, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Assemblymember William Colton (right) and Jason Huang and Bowen Lu from Brooklyn Technical High School's Red Cross Club sweep litter off he sidewalks. Photo courtesy Colton's office

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The sidewalks of Bensonhurst are looking a lot cleaner these days, thanks to a group of volunteers who took part in a community cleanup organized by Assemblymember William Colton and Councilmember Mark Treyger on May 23.

The litter sweep was part of “Speak-Up & Clean-Up,” an ongoing campaign founded by Colton and civic activist Priscilla Consolo. The May 23 event marked the first cleanup of the 2015 season, according to Colton’s Office. The previous cleanup took place in November.

More than 75 volunteers, many of them students from local high schools, diligently worked along 86th Street from 25th Avenue to 14th Avenue, and along Bay Parkway from 73rd Street to Cropsey Avenue. The cleanup zone included commercial as well as residential areas.

In addition to sweeping away litter, the participants also handed out informational fliers, in different languages and spoke to residents and businesses about city sanitation rules to encourage them to keep the neighborhood tidy.

“An important aspect of this campaign is to inform people and make them more aware of proper trash disposal. For this reason, our volunteers hand out flyers with sanitation rules and guidelines,” Colton said in a statement. “During our cleanup events, our volunteers talk to people passing by on the street, as well as our local business owners. We’re encouraging everyone to do their part to help keep our neighborhood clean.”

The list of volunteers included members of District 9 High School Key Club; students from New Utrecht High School; students from Midwood High School’s Key Club; students from Brooklyn Technical High School’s Red Cross Club and Key Club; students from Edward R. Murrow’s Key Club; students from Madison High School’s Key Club; members from Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School’s Key Club; members of Brooklyn Tech High School’s Outreach Club; students from Brooklyn Technical High School’s ACT Club; students from Abraham Lincoln High School’s Key Club; and members from John Dewey High School’s Key Club, among others.

The Department of Sanitation supplied the brooms, gloves and trash bags to assist the volunteers in the cleanup effort.

Consolo said the success of the cleanup was due to the hard work of the volunteers. “Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to have cleaned hundreds of streets in our neighborhood. Our youth volunteers continue to show that they are committed to helping make our community a better place,” she said.

“The Speak Up & Clean Up campaign has made tremendous progress over the years towards the goal of a cleaner, greener and more beautiful neighborhood, so I am excited to build on these efforts with the help of dedicated volunteers from our local schools,” Treyger said.

Treyger called the period cleanups “a win-win opportunity” for merchants and residents alike.