LINDA W. LITTLE
PAMLICO PICK UP: Jack Cherry (left) and Mike DeRosa (right) are pictured with garbage picked up during Crystal Beach Estates’ “Big Sweep.” Fourteen folks assembled early on the morning of Sept. 12 to conduct a “Big Sweep” of the river shoreline, other waterfront areas and roadsides in the community. They were pleased to find that there was much less litter than in previous years, probably due to the lack of big storms this year and to the near-daily monitoring by Crystal Beach resident Dr. Susan McDaniel, retired ECU biology professor. They collected around 200 gallons of trash, of which 5 gallons were beverage cans (they were recycled). Additional large debris, too big for bags of buckets, was collected and hauled away. Interesting items found included a $1 bill, a blanket, a plastic hockey stick, a bracelet and a light fixture. Afterward, participants were treated to a hot dog lunch sponsored by Friends of Crystal Beach. The Fall Big Sweep has been an annual project of Friends for well over a decade. The Crystal Beach community challenges other waterfront communities to join in the annual fall cleanup to keep our waters safe, clean and attractive, and protect our waters and the creatures who call them home.