March 23, 2007

Unsightly litter in Silver Creek bed

City vows swift cleanup

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

Litterbugs beware. There’s a mess in the Silver Creek bed near Evergreen College, and the city is about to go out and do something about it.

The area, which is currently strewn with litter including a refrigerator, hot water heater, bed frames, mattresses, chairs and various other items, will be cleaned up as soon as the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department can get the proper personnel out, said PRNS Manager Brian Hartsell.

“We need to identify the exact location and assess the volume and difficulty of removing the trash,” Hartsell said. Often, he added, “undeveloped park property or riparian habitats are used for dumping and the city is not aware of the problem until it is brought to our attention.”

Once the area is identified, the city has to decide what resources to use to get rid of the trash. Typically, Hartsell said, there are several that can be applied, but it also often depends on much maintenance money is available to take care of the job.

“Once we’ve identified the problem, we can get the resources together to take care of it,” he said.

An old discarded carpet that was illegally dumped lies visible from the side of Yerba Buena Road in San Jose.

These resources can be the Conservation Corps or Park Maintenance, in the case of problems with appliances and large items. Other volunteer services, such as Adopt-a-Trail or Adopt-a-Park, can also be used. Finally, volunteers for the Water District’s Adopt-a-Creek can also help out.

But whether the area continues to be an illegal dumping ground following a proper cleanup is up in the air, according to Hartsell. “Sometimes it’s an isolated incident. We take care of it and we don’t see it happening again. Other times it just continues,” he said.

Cleanup days
Meanwhile, since spring has arrived, there will be several district and citywide cleanups so that residents can get rid of items they no longer want or need. District 8’s annual dumpster day is April 14. On that day, Vice Mayor Dave Cortese’s office will provide a large number of dumpsters at the McDonald’s on Aborn and Wright and at other Evergreen area locations from 8 to 11 a.m., or until the bins are completely full.

On May 19, the city will hold its Great American Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon, said Demetria Machado, from the city’s PRNS marketing group. While the exact details for the event are not yet ironed out, the three-hour cleanup will be followed by a free lunch for all the volunteers. The location for the lunch this year has yet to be determined. Last year, 342 volunteers throughout the city picked up 346 bags of litter and recyclables.

Alongside Yerba Buena Road in San Jose sits a rolled up carpet and an old water heater that was dumped illegally.

Among other areas scheduled for cleanups are Falls Creek at Montgomery Hill Park, Lake Cunningham Regional Park from Tully Road to Raging Waters, Coyote Creek at Hellyer Park, Los Alamitos Creek from Hacienda to Woods, Alamitos Creek from Greystone Lane to McAbee Avenue, Upper Penitencia Creek from Capitol Avenue to White Road, and Guadalupe River from Highway 880 to Coleman Road.

City hauling
For those having difficulties getting rid of large items such as sofas or appliances, Machado said a call to the city’s Call Center at (408) 535-3500 should do the trick. Those interested should ask for the Large Item Program, which will connect interested parties with a hauler that will schedule a time to pick up as many as three large items left at the curb for a total of $25. The program is handled out of the Environmental Services Department. For more information, call Donna Peralla at (408) 975-2511.

To be a creek cleanup volunteer, go to www.cleanacreek.org and pick a site in Santa Clara County. Volunteers should wear long pants, sturdy shoes, gloves, sunscreen and a hat. For more information, call the Creek Connections Action Group Hotline at (408) 265-2607. Ext. 2255