It made my freebie law school column look pitiful, like I was trying to use something I had written six months ago to get out of writing a real column. And someone said my first paragraph didn't even make sense. No wonder I didn't get into Georgetown.

So, I tip my hat to you for besting me in our weekly right-left/point-counter-point, and with an eye on earning my honor as a columnist back, I challenge you to a duel:

I bet you that I can assemble a team of Thornton for Governor Greens and Progressive Happy Hour volunteers to collect more bags trash at the First Annual Park River Clean-Up than any merry band of Irishmen and Republicans you can recruit for Saturday, Sept. 30 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 pm. Meet behind the old Capital Community Technical College.

The First Annual Park River Watershed Clean-Up, organized by Park River aficionado and Hartford resident Mary Rickel Pelletier, is slated to run concurrently with the 19th Annual Farmington River Watershed Association Clean-Up and the 10th Annual Connecticut River Watershed Source to Sea Clean-Up.

"A river clean-up is a great community event designed to involve people and groups of all ages in exploring waterway environments," Pelletier wrote in her press release.

She's encouraging "special groups, such as Girl/Boy Scout troops or neighborhood block associations to organize teams to concentrate on taking a walk along neighborhood waterways throughout the Park River watershed, and removing litter in the process."
Trash-pickers will find provide garbage bags waiting for them, and Pelletier will designate locations for trash bag retrieval.

Pelletier, who can be reached at (860)-232-5701, is as impatient as we are in trying to establish a Park River greenway. But she is actually doin something, putting together a great Park River website and seeking funding and support.

The money may be far away, but we have to push in that direction. And as your column rightly noted last week, Mike, we won't be seeing any leadership from el Alcalde on this one. It's too far from the locked offices and empty heads on Main Street.

So whaddya think up there, Mike? Game on? I'll bring the Gatorade and gloves; you bring the Guinness and grass rakes.

For those who want to join my team, email me at ken@the40yearplan.com; if you want to convince McGarry this is a worthwhile environmental activity, call him at 860-296-6128.

Remind Mike that for more than a decade, he has lead the chorus about a Park River greenway. Tell him here's his chance to jump start his city council run and throw some momentum into the Greenway.

At previous Farmington River clean-ups, more than 200 volunteers have picked up almost 2.5 tons of trash. I figure along the Park River, between the metal grates and the Dunkin Donuts marquee signs, our two teams should find half that much in a day.
It's kind of crazy how much damage this modern lifestyle can inflict on the planet, and we need to clean up after ourselves.

Special Agent McGarry, if you're listening and you choose to accept this challenge of the First Annual Park River Clean-up, send word in your column next week.

This paper will self-destruct in five seconds.

8/30/06

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The Park River, as seen on Parkriver.org,inspired Mark Twain to write the American epic Huckleberry Finn.

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