The neighborhood's many vacant lots routinely serve as unofficial dumping grounds, filling up faster than city crews are able to clear them. So when residents successfully lobbied the city for a trash bin for a cleanup over the weekend, city crews knew they might have to empty the bin a time or two. Instead, try more than 12 times. Volunteers included Sulphur Springs residents, nonresidents and even a handful of University of South Florida students.
Items collected include mattresses, car batteries, brush and several couches.
Even a large wooden airplane or air-boat propeller was found. The cleanup was organized by the Sulphur Springs Action League. City Council member Rose Ferlita was instrumental in helping secure the bin, volunteers say. Holt says she would like to repeat the cleanup, which was organized to coincide with Earth Day on Sunday.