Huge Wheeling Island Cleanup Effort Coming

WHEELING -- A major, multi-day cleanup effort on Wheeling Island is slated to begin this weekend, and all Island residents are urged to participate.

Ward 2 Councilman Ben Seidler said the city of Wheeling's Operations Department has committed to help make this year's cleanup bigger and better than ever. In order for it to be a success, however, residents have to participate.

"The Wheeling Island Cleanup Day has been transformed from a one-day, large event into an even larger multi-day event," Seidler said. The councilman, representing Ward 2 -- which includes his home neighborhood of Wheeling Island -- has made it a mission since taking office last year to clean up the city's neighborhoods and to bring citations to those who violate the city's property maintenance codes.

Some residents of Wheeling Island have already been planning for the three big days that are part of the spring cleanup this month -- with the first day set for this Sunday. Through the remainder of this week, all Island residents are encouraged to plan for the first big cleaning wave this weekend.

Seidler said Sunday's cleanup is perhaps the most important one of all, as it sets the stage for the other follow-up cleanup dates this month. Sunday's cleanup will bring city backhoes and dump trucks to the island for a cleaning blitz similar to a post-flood disaster cleanup drill -- but instead of flood debris, crews will be picking up junk that residents are invited to neatly set out along their trash route.

This weekend, from Friday to Sunday, residents of Wheeling Island -- and only Island residents -- are urged to get rid of their junk by setting it out for pickup.

"Please get the stuff that's going to end up in your yard or along the side of your house out to the property line," Seidler said, "so we don't have to write you a letter and a citation later this spring."

Seidler noted that the city has agreed to assist in this "one-time-only, all-hands-on-deck flood protocol," and residents are asked to stack the trash in an orderly fashion along the trash routes, as crews will not be venturing into people's yards to gather and remove it.

Material cannot be stacked in a way that it may fall into the streets and be out by the end of the night on Sunday, Seidler stressed. Crews will not be accepting batteries or hazardous materials of any sort. Tires and televisions will be accepted in small quantities, he said.

"Please do not abuse this," he urged. "If operations shows up and finds an unreasonable amount of tires, they will not be removed, and you will be responsible for having those disposed of properly."

It may take a few days for all of the material to be removed after Sunday, Seidler said.

Following the flood protocol blitz this weekend, the official Wheeling Island Cleanup Date will be April 24, and a lot of volunteers will be needed.

Volunteers are asked to join between 7:30-8 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, for a quick breakfast at Eden's Family Restaurant on Virginia Street. Afterward, they can sign in, grab trash bags and head out with the groups for a cleanup sweep of the island.

Around noon, volunteers will meet at Abbey's Restaurant for lunch, then the effort will shift gears in the afternoon.

"I'm not encouraging you, I'm challenging you -- no, I'm triple-dog daring you -- the residents of Wheeling Island to spend the rest of the day focusing on your own properties and asking your neighbors how you can help clean up theirs," Seidler said.

Seidler said he will be going around the island on this day in search of nominees for most valuable volunteers in various categories, including Most Effort Put In, Most Improved Property, Most Improved Block, Most Island Love Shown, Nicest Flower Garden, Best Water Delivery Assistant, Best Helper, Best Pictures of the Day and anyone else who did what they could with anything they had to make a difference.

The final big cleanup day will be April 27, Dumpster Day at Wheeling Island Marina between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., when any remaining trash can be taken there to be hauled away.

"We're counting on everyone to help us get our neighborhood cleaned up so we can kick this spring off to a good start," Seidler said. "I want to thank everyone in advance for helping to make Wheeling Island a safe and clean neighborhood again."