LOCAL

Teens to clean up Conococheague banks in Chambersburg

Staff report

CHAMBERSBURG - The borough will celebrate Earth Day on Saturday by sponsoring a volunteer clean-up along the banks of the Conococheague Creek.

In this October 2016 file photo, trees are reflected in the Conococheague Creek looking south from East King Street, Chambersburg. This area is at about the midway point where the borough will sponsor a creek clean-up, from Commerce Street south to West Loudon Street.

The focus of the clean-up will be downtown between Commerce Street in the north and West Loudon Street in the south. 

Local teens from Chambersburg Area Senior High School NJROTC and Abraxas Youth and Family Services will handle the work from 8 a.m. to noon on April 22. 

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Chambersburg Borough Manager, Jeffrey Stonehill, explained in a news release, "While the Borough of Chambersburg always respects the environment, it is especially gratifying that on Earth Day the Borough can assist with the clean-up of the area of one of our most important natural resources, the Conococheague Creek watershed.”

Borough Council President Allen Coffman agreed, noting the historic connection of the borough to the streams that run through it. “Founded at the confluence of the Conococheague and Falling Spring, Chambersburg owes its existence to these waterways and the Borough should take pride in their quality and cleanliness.”

Borough staff members, including Assistant Manager David Finch, Recreation Director Guy Shaul, Storm Sewer System Manager Andrew Stottlemyer, and Community Economic Development Coordinator Paul Cullinane helped to organize the volunteer effort. 

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“Cleaning up our local waterways is very important to the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay," Shaul said in the release. "It is always great to see local volunteers coming together for a good purpose.” 

According to Louis Montney, the naval science instructor for the NJROTC program, these types of volunteer programs “help instill citizenship, service to the community, and personal responsibility in the cadets who participate. Many cadet graduates of the CASHS NJROTC say community service opportunities like these were among the most lasting benefits of our program.” 

All of these are worthy goals in addition to cleaning up this valuable natural resource for our community, which runs from 8:00 am until 12 noon on Saturday morning.

For additional information, contact Assistant Manager David Finch at 717-660-2702 or dfinch@chambersburgpa.gov.