Volunteer to 'Be Green' Resident organizes river cleanup for June 16 BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer OCEANPORT - A concerned Oceanport resident is calling on the community to join in an environmental event to clean debris from borough waterways. On Thursday, June 16, Voula Constantarakos will lead volunteers in Oceanport's first "Be Green: Waterways and Open Spaces" project to help create a cleaner, healthier - and greener - environment. "My taxpayer dollars do help clean a certain portion of our environment, but is it right for me to sit by my window and watch?" asked Constantarakos in an interview last week. "We, as a community, have to get involved," she said. "Every spring, debris lines the Shrewsbury River. This huge amount of trash just keeps piling up. "We need to get involved and not wait for someone else to clean it," she added. The cleanup will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will entail volunteers collecting garbage at different points during low tide along the Shrewbury River. Those interested in volunteering or seeking more information about the event can call borough hall at (732) 222-8221, or on the day of the event call the Olde Wharf House at (732) 542-6966. "My hope is to get as many people in as many different areas that we can along the river," Constantarakos said. "Some residents have volunteered to take their boats and kayaks out and clean the trash in the water." The idea to hold a community-wide cleanup event came to Constantarakos this year after watching her husband's efforts to clean the waterway. "I have been watching my husband clean up the river every year since we moved [to Oceanport] three years ago," Constantarakos said. "And every year he takes two to three bags of garbage out of the Shrewsbury," she said. "I thought, It shouldn't be just us cleaning the water, it should be a community involvement." Constantarakos said she and her husband frequently observe the usual items washing along the shoreline of the Shrewsbury River, such as plastic foam, glass bottles, plastic and aluminum cans. But they have also found bulky items like metal, tires and a child's stroller. "How does a stroller end up in the river?" she said. "We couldn't get it out and had to call someone from public works." So this year, Constantarakos said she began reaching out to neighbors, friends in the community, church groups, community groups and borough officials to get an idea of how many people would support an effort to clean Oceanport. "Everybody has been very responsive," Constantarakos said. "I was very happy with the feedback. Most everybody has been supportive and everyone is asking what else they can do to help." She continued, "A lot of us are boaters," she said. "We enjoy the water. If you are going to enjoy the water, you should also want to help keep it clean. "So far we have about 50 volunteers," she said. "I hope we double that number the day of the event." The cleanup is being sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Volunteers for the project include Oceanport Mayor Lucille Chaump, members of the Borough Council and the borough's Water Watch Committee. Whole Foods will provide each volunteer with a complimentary tote bag for coming out to help keep Oceanport clean and will provide snacks for volunteers throughout the event. Volunteers will meet at the Olde Wharf Inne on East Main Street and are asked to bring safety goggles or glasses, rubber boots, gloves and water. Children are invited to help out, but must be accompanied by an adult, according to Constantarakos. "We welcome children," she said. "This has to be passed on to other generations." After the cleanup, all volunteers are invited to a potluck dinner at The Olde Wharf Inne. "We plan to display information [at the dinner] about pollution, our waterways and how we can help," Constantarakos said. "We are not there to just pick up garbage," she said, "We are there to inform people about the amount of pollution. "I want to include facts about the Shrewsbury River and the amount of pollution in it," she said. The most important goal in promoting a greener environment is reducing the amount of litter, Constantarakos explained. She added that limiting the amount of Styrofoam, reusing containers and educating communities about recycling are also important steps in keeping the environment free of pollution. "It is so much easier in our busy way of life to go through things," she said. "How many bottles of water do we throw out? Those are plastic bottles that are not biodegradable." Next year, Constantarakos said, she plans to host another "Be Green" community event to help keep Oceanport clean and green. Her hope, she said, is for other community groups to jump on board and host more environmental cleaning events throughout the year. "This is something that has to be done more than once a year," she said. "It makes a difference."