Folks Clean Their Plates After Picking Up At Lake

If you stood around too long, it would happen for sure.

Someone would come up to you, look you square in the eye and say: “Have you eaten yet? There is plenty of sausage left.”

Usually garbage and appetites don’t mix, but they did last Saturday.

It had been a hard morning, and folks were hungry. A large crew of Newman Lake residents took the Earth Day idea seriously. They spent three hours bagging trash they collected from the side of 62 miles of area roads.

About 80 volunteers had fanned out from their base, the house of Chuck and Miriam Foster. After the clean-up, everyone returned there for a community potluck.

They earned their meal. Items neighbors hauled in included a car hood, an old computer, mail boxes still attached to felled posts, and a dead deer. Area resident Marge Fautch said they even found a bunch of weathered “Retain George Marlton for County Commissioner” signs.

The truck donated by Newman Lake Garbage Service owner Eric Holtz was filled with 3,000 pounds of junk.

This was the sixth year since Newman Lake resident Wendy Burley founded the clean-up as an event of the Newman Lake Property Owners Association, but folks have been doing it for about 30 years informally.

“It’s a good way to bring the community together,” said Jill Taylor, chairperson this year. “It’s fun.”

Last year, it was warm, people remembered. This time, the dark gray clouds threatened rain and everyone wore windbreakers and plaid flannels. People were glad to get inside the Fosters’ heated garage and to make their dent in the big potluck spread.

Several elementary-school girls tossed around a Nerf outside on the lawn, bad weather aside.

Inside, four 16-year-olds from Morning Star Boys Ranch made short work of some ice cream bars. The ranch has a cabin in Newman Lake, so they came to do their part. Assistant Director Forbes “Buck” Rogers (that’s his name - he hands out business cards to prove it) said the boys love the chore.

“Tell him how much fun you had,” Rogers said to one of the teens.

“Oh yeah, lots,” John Moore responded with sarcasm - and a grin.

Dustin Burrows, another of the crew, proudly said he filled three big bags himself.

After everyone was fed, the group got in a circle for a victory speech from Taylor. Standing beneath a buck head mounted on the wall, she cited a few notable neighbors. Then garbage truck driver Lyle Hansen told them how much it costs to dispose of the garbage, $102 per ton. Fautch plunked down a coffee can next to the pasta salad, and asked folks for donations so the garbage service wouldn’t have to foot the whole bill.

Everyone thought the county should help pay next time.

A few more neighbors offered comments. Then the circle disbanded.

“Hey,” someone said, “there’s still plenty more sausage left.”

, DataTimes MEMO: Valley Snapshots is a regular Valley Voice feature that visits gatherings in the Valley. If you know of a good subject for this column, please call reporter Ward Sanderson at 927-2154.