A Rose Creek Thank You!

What a wonderful turnout of people of all ages, stages, colors, political persuasion, religions, even nationalities. Biggest thanks should go to the person who wrote the below letter, Melissa Steele

Subject: A Rose Creek Thank You!

Dear Friends,

Words are inadequate for me to express my graditude to all of you for your participation in my Rose Creek clean-up project.  I am honored that you thought enough me to listen to my request in the first place, then chose to become involved, step up, and make an effort to make a difference.  And make a difference you did!  Together we picked up 85 pounds of trash, and a combined 220 pounds of glass, plastic, and cans, ALL recycleable!  How 'bout that!!!

The most important thing we did together, however, was raise awareness in our community and in our own hearts. Now as we open our eyes any time we are outside, we will all notice the trash on the roads, riverbanks, and wherever humans tread, and in many cases we will again step up to make a difference by organizing clean-up efforts, reporting tag numbers when we see someone litter from their car, and as often as possible, inspire these actions in others.

I invite you all to be a part of our newly formed Rose Creek Stewardship.  I plan to go through the proper channels to formally form our group and "adopt-a-mile" or two, or five...or however many are allowed!  Friends from Oconee Democrats continued their Saturday by picking up trash at their own adopt-a-mile site after they left our project!  Now, that's dedication!  Why don't we ALL adopt-a-mile in our own neighborhoods!  That would make a HUGE difference!  What if we did....and what if we encouraged our friends and family to do so as well?   Think of that ripple becoming a wave!  Inspiring, isn't it?  DO IT !   For more information on Adopt-A-Mile contact clean&beautiful@oconee.ga.us.

I also strongly encourage you to become involved in other Keeping Oconee Clean & Beautiful Efforts.  April is official Litter Clean Up Month, so join the MOB SQUAD on April 24 at Harris Shoals Park, 9:00 am.  I will definitely be there and hope to see many of you there as well.  Use that email address for them for more info as well.

I also encourage you to check out and become involved in the Upper Oconee Watershed Network.  Their "River Rondevous" clean-up efforts, monitoring, and community activism projects are widespread and critical in this part of the state.  Here's their website which holds an incredible amount of interesting information:  http://www.uown.org/  Their next River Rondevous is March 27 at Sandy Creek Park!  I can't make it to that one but I encourage you to be a part!  They are a great group of fun folks!  And they care deeply about our beautiful planet.

Everyone who participated yesterday feels a special love for our beautiful covered bridge and mill.  We are lucky to have such treasures in our county, in such pristine condition, and so much a part of  Oconee County history.  You will want to stay informed on our efforts to put that area into an official park,  My friend Russ Page  heads up our "Friends of Elder Mill" committee, which also includes me, John English, and Robert Jahn.  Russ will be speaking at a Forum entitled "Elder Bridge Park Forum" on March 25th, 7:00 pm at the Watkinsville Library.  You won't want to miss that.  PLEASE sign the on-line petition regarding this project:  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/elderbridgepark/  Nobody wants to see that area developed!  PLEASE PASS THIS PETITION ON!

We could not have done this project without our sponsors and helpers, and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart!  My sweet neighbors Bruce and Melanie Pruitt, Jenny, Woody, and Christy Cowart and her friend Caleb Aldridge...there is just no way I could have pulled all this together without your help!  Nor could I do anything without the never ending support and encouragement of my precious husband, Michael.  Sorry you had to work and couldn't be with us!

Huge thanks to Keeping Oconee Clean & Beautiful Commisson who sponsored us by providing insight, helped in planning, provided bags, gloves, pick up sticks, road signs, all that, PLUS Esther Porter cooked breakfast!  Several of their members joined us Saturday as well!

Thanks SO much to Friends of Barber Creek for helping to sponsor our breakfast and providing funds to cover the cost of some of the printing of postcards and posters. You all just let us know when your clean up day is and we will join you!

Thanks to Publix for their $25 gift card towards some of our supplies as well. Much appreciated!

Big thanks due to the great guys at Oconee Waste Transport for providing the dumpster for the trash portion of our pick-up results..  This meant we didn't have to pay for that part to be dumped at the landfill!   They brought it all the way out to our farm and will pick it up and properly dispose of its contents at the landfill.  So generous!  http://www.oconeewaste.com/index.html 

Antioch Church was absolutely the most perfect place for us to meet!  Thank you so much to them for the use of their fellowship hall, kitchen, restrooms, and parking!  Such a beautiful church, and so important to so many in our community.  Special thanks to Melanie Pruitt and Peggy Lowery for helping Esther with breakfast and clean up!

We were able to get so many volunteers due to the generous folks who helped spread the word! 

The Athens Banner Herald, Chris Starrs did such a wonderful job in capturing the essence of my project despite my rambling during the phone interview.

The Oconee Enterprise; Blake Giles wrote an article, took photos, printed my last minute letter to the editor requesting volunteers the Thursday before the project date, AND showed up for more photos on Saturday!  Thank you! 

Robb & Mary Kay at WUGA for putting me on their shedule, it was an honor to be a part of your program! 

Thanks to The Flagpole for the announcement, and to UWON for their posting as well. 

ENORMOUS thanks to Lee Becker, who supported me at every turn in every way, not only on the creek clean up project, but on our efforts with Elder Mill Park as well. If you REALLY want to know what is going on in Oconee County, you need to get on his list-serve for his blog.  He is so well informed, unbiased, and thorough!  He is passionate about Oconee County and he pays attention!  http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/

Tremendous thanks to Austin Marable, with GPS/ GIS services at Oconee County Courthouse.  He got us all the information we needed in order to contact landowners along Little Rose and Big Rose Creek and provided the lovely map to us!  Thank you Austin!  And special thanks to Bruce Pruitt for printing it out and helping me understand what the hec I was looking at!

And of course, thanks to the landowners who allowed us access to the creeks from their property and in many cases participated in clean up efforts both with and without our involvement.

Special thanks to Ian Giles for videotaping the whole day and really capturing the spirit of our collective vibe!  He's putting something together for us...I"ll forward it to you soon.   And thanks to Renee Hodnett for taking some wonderfully colorful and expressive photos of the day!  They are (not) attached to this email and I will post them on my blog as well!  www.mylovelylife.tumblr.com

Big hug and special thanks to David Wenner who was SO helpful throughout the planning stages and who was my right hand man all day Saturday.  He helped me get everything to the landfill and the dumpster to weigh and unload it all!  Phew!  Great job David!  Thank you!

Thank you , thank you, and thank you some more! 

Big hugs to you all!!

Melissa

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain