Just another ‘maintenance Monday’ at Preston Park
Spring cleaning started Monday for a group of volunteers who went to Preston Park to clean the area of debris in preparation for the warm months ahead.
The group has come to be known as the “Monday Morning Maintenance Crew” because it has been meeting at Preston Park almost every Monday of the spring and summer since 2011 to keep it in good shape.
Tony Stagno, executive director of the Friends of Preston Park Foundation, said he and other crew members met over the winter to plan for the spring cleaning season, which typically begins with placing the wooden benches around the park.
“We were supposed to start (the benches), and the trailer we use had a flat tire,” Stagno said. “So we spent a majority of the day picking up branches. There are a number of trees down, especially by the meadow. We will take several days to just go in there and pull them out.”
Stagno said the crew works in conjunction with Butler Township and its employees, who help keep track of volunteer attendance so they can report volunteer hours.
He also said volunteers can come any Monday and are not held to a commitment of helping for a certain number of days or hours. However, some people have been dedicated to the group since a few women initially got together to start the volunteer crew, according to Stango.
“We've had people who have come every year since the beginning,” Stagno said. “It started off with six people and at our best we had 24. At our best we have 12 a week.”
Some mornings have more work for the volunteers than others, Stagno said, but the group usually wraps up its work by noon. He also said anyone who wants to attend a maintenance session is welcome to meet the group in the parking lot at 9 a.m. on any spring Monday.
“If anybody wants to join us, come to the parking lot at 9,” Stagno said. “We make sure everybody has a job to do, and, at the end, everyone feels good about the work they did.”
