The following report from the Mississippi Gulf Coast is by Derrick Evans, founder and director of Turkey Creek Community Initiatives. ---BG
By Derrick Evans
Turkey Creek Community Initiatives and its community partners are trying to get MLK Blvd and the rest of North Gulfport EXTREMELY clean in time for Dr. King's Birthday on Jan 15, as well as for the Jan 27 ribbon-cutting of Turkey Creek-North Gulfport's very first Unity (green modular) Home on the corner of MLK and Ohio Avenue.
Over 80 volunteers headed out at 8 Monday and Tuesday morning with District 4 Supervisor William Martin's Harrison County boom trucks and road crews right behind them. The volunteers are from Boston College, U Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Hands On USA, Americorps, and Youth Conservation Corps. Many very appreciative community members have been happily pitching in to do their part. When City of Gulfport "Beautification workers" suddenly appeared at mid-morning on Monday to try their best to keep up, we knew we had gotten something big rolling.
In just two days, we thoroughly cleaned over 75% of the streets and ditches on the west side of Highway 49 in North Gulfport, or approximately 2 square miles. In unprecedented volume, old tires, unaddressed storm debris, and general roadside litter were neatly set alongside the streets to be picked up by county and city knuckle booms, and to be raked and bagged again if necessary. This level of intense cleaning will continue Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8am to 4pm, with targeted areas to include Forest Heights, Rippy Road, Villa del Rey and any other areas of the lower TC Watershed that our time and manpower will allow.
Forty of the volunteers are guests of TCCI's volunteer camp at Harrison County's Hannah Knox and Amos Crouch ballfields (just west of the North Gulfport Middle Schoool). A post-clean-up Fish Fry and Community Celebration will occur on Friday the 12th from 6pm until, and don't forget the Unity Home ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan 27 - hosted by the North Gulfport Community Land Trust. Please join us.
(Cross-posted on Gulf Coast Fair Housing Network and Dollars & Sense.)
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You should try to sign a brotherhood alliance with Bayram Turlari. It is a nice vacation resort in Turkey and since your town has Turkey in its name, they would surely appreciate it.