Newfield Greenup Day returns

Newfield’s second annual Greenup Day is set to take place April 27, with a backup date of May 11 in case of rain. The community event, proposed and organized by Newfield resident Mitchell Raymond, debuted in 2023 and aims to be an annual tradition.

According to Raymond, the initiative sprang from his reaction to a complaint on the Newfield Community Facebook page in February 2023 about the amount of litter on the town’s roadsides. 

“I responded, stating how my native state of Vermont dealt with roadside trash through their annual statewide Greenup Day every year since I was a child,” said Raymond. “There was a lot of interest in my response to the original roadside trash problem post.”

Raymond said that he began forming a plan to bring Greenup Day to Newfield by pitching the idea to Newfield Town Supervisor Michael Allinger and then to the Newfield Town Board, which granted approval, paving the way for the inaugural event in 2023. 

“We ended up having 50 volunteers and collected about 1,100 pounds of garbage and recycling last year,” said Raymond. 

Newfield Greenup Day event registration will occur in front of the town hall between 9 a.m. and noon on April 27. Participants will sign up to clean designated road sections. They will receive guidelines, black bags for trash, white bags for recycling and the option to borrow grabbers and other cleanup gear provided by the Cayuga Watershed Network. In addition to grabbers, volunteers will be outfitted with hard hats and reflective vests to ensure safety during the cleanup.

All equipment must be returned to the town hall by the end of the day. Filled trash and recycling bags should be placed at or near the closest intersection to the road segment assigned to each volunteer or group. The Newfield Highway Department will pick them up on April 29 for delivery to the Tompkins County Waste and Recycling Center.

“It’s intended to be an annual event, and one of my goals is to have it spread throughout New York state,” said Raymond. “I want to just keep on having a few years of it being successful just in my town and perhaps have it spread throughout Tompkins County and maybe go from there.”

Raymond’s ambition for this year’s Greenup Day is to build on the success of the event’s first year by drawing in more volunteers and collecting more trash, thus extending the cleanup’s reach throughout the community. His goal is not only to surpass the previous year’s achievements in terms of volume but also to cover a wider area, enhancing the event’s positive impact on the town’s environment.

“Not that I want more people to litter so we can have more pounds of trash,” said Raymond. “But I would like to have more volunteers than 50 and more pounds of trash than 1,100 collected.”

Raymond invites members of the Newfield community to register for the upcoming Greenup Day, noting that local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops have already committed to the event. He is also requesting community feedback to determine which areas need the most attention for cleanup. Residents can relay their suggestions to him via email or through interactions on Facebook.

“My favorite thing about Newfield Greenup Day is how passionate my volunteers are,” said Raymond. “They did a fabulous job last year, especially on such short notice, and I just want that vibe to continue.”

In brief:

Town board work session

The Newfield Town Board work session will be held April 25 at the Newfield Town Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. The agenda can be found on the Town of Newfield website. Participation is welcomed and encouraged.

Library book sale

The Newfield Public Library is hosting a book sale April 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. The library’s inventory is fully refreshed and includes books, DVDs, puzzles and CDs. Everything is $1. All proceeds go to benefit the Newfield Public Library.

Sportsman Yard Sale

The Sportsman Yard Sale will be held at the Newfield Rod & Gun Club, Inc. April 27 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Buy, sell and trade hunting, shooting, camping, fishing and boating gear. Entry is $5 and $15 for vendors. To reserve a table, contact 607-342-5104.

Newfield Travel Club craft fair

The Newfield Travel Club will host a craft fair to help send students to Costa Rica. The fair will be on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Newfield High School gym. Vendors are encouraged to sign up by texting 607-342-2279 or emailing GeorgeSuzie93@gmail.com. Vendors will be charged $25 per 10 x 10 square and are asked to donate an item of their choice for a joint raffle.