This year’s seventh-annual Spokane River Clean-up was another smashing success. Thanks to everyone that took part, and we hope that you, like us, had a great, gratifying time!

Here are a few highlight statistics:

• Over 750 volunteers took part
• 16,447 pounds of trash collected (eight-plus tons), up from the 12,020-pound total last year
• 5,207 pounds of trash recycled by Earth Works Recycling - up from 4,101 pounds recycled in 2008

As in years past, a “Most Interesting Trash” competition was held, with judging in four categories performed by by Spokesman-Review columnist Doug Clark, with local artist and garbologist Gabriel Brown. For more on the winners, details on sponsors, links to on-line coverage and more, check out the FOF news release below. We’ve also prepared an image gallery of the U-District area effort, with images contributed by John Moore, and linked a second gallery of the High Bridge effort posted by Russ Nobbs.

But most of all, be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s event, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010!

News release (127 Kb, Acrobat® file)
2009 Snapshots - U-District (Flash™ gallery)
2009 Snapshots - High Bridge (Facebook™ gallery)

One (of many) initiatives Friends of the Falls has been working on over the past few months concerns care and access issues along the entire stretch of the Spokane River - a proposed river-oriented “greenway district” functioning much like downtown and public facilities districts do statewide.

Efforts to fund research on such a proposal are ongoing, and Executive Director Steve Faust has been busy making presentations to numerous groups and organizations on the concept, including what State law allows and how it might be applied to the Spokane. It’s an exciting concept, and feel free to with Steve if you’d like to know more.

But first, check out Steve’s article on the idea, presented in this month’s Out There Monthly. Follow the link below to the OTM website below; we’ll add a hard-copy link to the content at the end of the month.

As Steve argues in the article, the experience of our river doesn’t end or begin at City lines. It’s a regional asset, and deserves a regional approach to access, maintenance and facilities planning. “By not addressing these challenges as a region,” Steve writes, “We’re missing a fabulous opportunity. It’s time to consider a new approach.”

“Modest Proposal” article (Weblink, Out There Monthly)

Bloomsday’s not far off - at least given the long winter, we’d like to imagine it so - but jogging along the river can be tough, what with all the ice and compact snow still covering most of the Centennial Trail.

That’s why it was such a pleasure to encounter someone removing the ice layer from a particularly steep portion of the trail the other day.

Meet Scott, a guy with a hip disability preventing him from even being able to stand (he gets around on a three-wheeled bicycle) who, in the interest of other trail users, was patiently chipping out a path between Summit Boulevard and the Sandifur Bridge. Ruby, his doberman companion, is just visible in the picture, too.

It was a great thing to see, and we hope, to share. Scott wasn’t out for thanks, but we offered ours, and hope if you see or know of others that work for the common good of Spokane, you’ll do the same.

Or even better, join in.

Dark clouds threatened, but a record number - more than 800 volunteers - turned out for this year’s Spokane River Clean-Up.

Happily, the rain stayed away - enabling folks to stay (mostly) dry while cleaning the Spokane River shoreline ranging from the Spokane River Gorge, the Iron Bridge area from Northern Lights Brewery to Avista’s headquarters on Mission, and a stretch between the Bowl & Pitcher and the downriver disc golf course. As in years past, folks from Northwest Whitewater Association (NWA) - and this year, joined by FLOW Adventures - helped clean near-shore and riverbed areas.

Did this year’s turnout and quantities of trash surpass last year’s effort? You bet! Figures released by the City show that 12,020 pounds - that’s more than six tons - of garbage was collected. On top of that, 4,101 pounds of trash is now on its way to Earthworks Recycling. So what’s the total take? Eight tons of garbage cleared from our river shorelines!

The “most interesting trash” competition was judged by local artist and garbologist Gabriel Brown, covering four categories - useful/valuable, beautiful/pretty, sad/creepy, and humorous/entertaining. The grand prize, a float for four people by NWA, went to a rusted Studebaker door hauled in by Brett, Kristen and Jasper Danielson.

Thanks to all 36 of our team leaders, on-site medics and incident commanders, steering committee, and numerous event partners. Thanks too, to our fantastic cleanup sponsors, including Wheelabrator Spokane, Waste Management, Washington Trust Bank, and Avista Utilities.

Check out the snapshots of this year’s event below - thanks and credits to Steve Dawson of the Spokane Camera Club. Plus, we’ve added links to some great media follow-up and on-line coverage of the event.

Already thinking waaaay ahead? It’s not too soon to mark your calendar for next year’s seventh annual Spokane River Clean-Up - (tentatively) set for Saturday, October 3rd, 2009!

“Shallow Cogitations” post (weblink)
Down to Earth post (weblink)
Out There Monthly post (weblink)
2008 Clean-Up Snapshots (Flash™ gallery)