Local man takes park cleanup into his own hands

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Brian Haughey said he was walking in Austintown Township Park on Memorial Day when he noticed an old hot-water tank and some sheets of old rusty metal lying in a ravine.

“I thought, ‘Someone should do something about that,’” Haughey said. “And then I thought, ‘Why not me?’”

He called the township trustees Tuesday, and today Haughey and a group of about 10 people will clean up the ravine.

He plans to scrap the metal and donate the proceeds back to the park.

“If it could pay for something new or just help with maintaining the park, all the better,” Haughey said.

The metal may not amount to much, but Haughey said it’s a reason to clean up the ravine. In addition to the hot-water tank and sheet metal, he’s seen plastic bottles, laundry baskets and a large trash can as well.

Todd Shaffer, park supervisor for Austintown Township, said he’s appreciative of the effort.

“We only have a staff of three, so anytime we get some volunteers to do a project, it’s appreciated,” he said.

The group plans to meet at 11 a.m. near the dog park at the park. Even if people aren’t able to help out, Haughey hopes they may contribute in other ways.

“Maybe they’ll feel emboldened to take on projects in their own community,” he said.