Rain Doesn’t Dampen Dormont Cleanup

Armed with trash bags, safety vests and a can-do attitude, more than a dozen Dormont residents braved Saturday morning’s showers to participate in the borough’s semi-annual cleanup event.

“As a councilman, I love days like this,” said John Maggio. “Seeing the people come out to help on a day like today—it’s a great thing.”

Maggio said approximately 15 Dormont residents stopped by the parking lot on Espy and Potomac Avenues to pick up cleaning supplies, safety gear and a map of the area. Participants then fanned out among Dormont’s neighborhoods to collect stray garbage.

“We give them each a little area to do,” said longtime cleanup volunteer Sarann Fisher. “Hopefully right near where they live.”

Fisher’s 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, volunteered to clean nearby Kelton Field.

“My mom is always picking up trash whenever we go for a walk,” Samantha said. “It makes the whole neighborhood look nicer.”

About participating in cleanup day, Samantha said, ”It’s the least I can do.”

Dormont residents Kim Hoffman and Darren Stroh agreed.

“We just want to live in a cleaner community,” said Stroh. “I wish more people would take pride in their community.”

Stroh and Hoffman have been taking part in the biannual event “off and on” for the past three years.

“It was one of our first dates,” Hoffman said.

The Palmer family, residents of Dormont for the past three years, participated in the cleanup to instill a sense of community pride and public service in their two sons.

Decked out in orange safety vests, the boys were ready to get to work as “real garbage men.”

Dormont teens Toni and Sam DiPippa and Dan Stickland were among the first volunteers to arrive Saturday morning.

The trio will be starting high school at in the fall and were excited to learn that participating in cleanup day would earn them credit toward completing the school’s volunteer-hours requirement.

“Plus it’s a good cause,” said Strickland.

Both Maggio and fellow Dormont Borough Council member Drew Lehman said they were pleased with the turnout.

“For a day like today,” said Maggio, “About 15 is not bad at all.”

Fisher said even more Dormont residents informally participate in the event by simply cleaning their own neighborhoods during breaks in the rain.

“Not everybody comes down (to the Espy/Potomac lot) to get a map,” she said. “There are people who are just going out and doing it.”

Cleaning supplies were provided by Allegheny Clean Ways and inspiration for the event was drawn from Shadyside’s Citizens Against Litter, said Maggio.