Over 30 volunteers met in the amphitheater behind Old Town last Saturday, Apr. 26, to patrol the Los Gatos Creek Trail. The effort was a partnership between West Valley Green Leaf, the grass roots environmental action group, and Leadership Los Gatos, a voluntary class for Los Gatans who want to become more involved with their community. Los Gatos Community Services Commissioner Christine Currie was both catalyst and organizer.
"Weird items found," according to Currie, included, "a jail jumpsuit, traffic cones, a car windshield, and a bicycle frame." The volunteers filled 65 bags with trash.
Volunteers enjoyed coffee donated by Peet's. Blossom Hill Peet's manager Kellie Mertz, and Saratoga Peet's manager Jennifer Krause were also volunteers, along with Peet's Los Gatos employees Vanessa Pina and Serenity Rose. Linda Apichell, of the Town House Hotel, brought fresh-baked cookies, and Safeway supplied doughnuts. Los Gatos Parks and Recreation loaned the group metal trash pickers and agreed to dispose of the collected waste.
The group included Green Leaf treasurer Monique Jensen, Leadership Los Gatos member Steve Leonardis, as well as a few children earning community service hours for school. Colin Peattie, who will start kindergarten at Daves Ave. school in the fall, was the youngest volunteer. Ryan and Sue Lucas brought their children, Gavin and Faith.
"We want to keep the Earth as green as possible," Gina Swenson said. Gina and her daughter Chloe, a Fisher Middle School student, just moved to Los Gatos last October.
West Valley Green Leaf meets at the Neighborhood Center on the 3rd Thursday of each month. For more information about Leadership Los Gatos, visit the town's website. Leadership Los Gatos sessions are held October through June.
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