Tara Robinson, front left, and her daughters, Brook, Ceana, Josie and Nadia, of East Andover pick up debris Saturday along Canal Street in Rumford during the River Valley Community Clean Up. They were among over 100 volunteers collecting trash in Rumford, Mexico and Dixfield. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
RUMFORD — More than 100 volunteers turned out on a sunny but breezy Saturday for the fourth River Valley Community Clean Up.
The grassroots environmental initiative by an informal group of River Valley citizens is organized close to Earth Day. This year it focused mostly along Route 2 in Rumford and Mexico, and included Dixfield for the first time. Heading up the effort were Lisa Arsenault, Tom Bourret, Glenn Gordon and Laurie “Mink” Woodhead.
Participants included Tara Robinson and her daughters, Brook, Ceana, Josie and Nadia, all of Andover. The Robinsons own Jarato Screen Printing in Andover, which provided T-shirts for the cleanup.
“We decided we’d pitch in because we love the area, and we like all these parks on the sides and such,” Tara Robinson said while picking up debris along Canal Street in Rumford. She said they signed up to clear debris all over The Island, the downtown business district.
Sponsors provided gloves, trash bags and supplies; Archie’s Inc. donated the use of roll-off trash containers behind the Mexico Town Office, on River Street in downtown Rumford, and behind the Dixfield Town Office.
The four-hour cleanup concluded with a barbecue behind the Rumford Fire Department.
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