BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Christopher Whitflee of Oakley retrieves plywood from the banks of the Little Miami.
(Dick Swaim photo)
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TURTLECREEK TOWNSHIP -- In five canoes, the group launched at noon Fridayinto the silvery ripples of the Little Miami River, beginning the search for a prize.
"We've made it into a thing -- to see who can bring back the biggest, baddest piece of trash," said Michael Watzek, 33, of Montgomery.
In the nine years he has been participating in the Little Miami Scenic River Challenge -- an annual clean-up from canoes of the river's waters and shoreline -- Mr. Watzek has bagged plenty of unusual items.
"We brought back a refrigerator once, minus the door. We put it in the front of the canoe and filled it with other trash," he said. " "If it doesn't belong, bring it along,' is the motto."
The group was part of a score of volunteers who patrolled about 50 miles of the Little Miami during the 15th annual cleanup, sponsored by the Cincinnati Izaac Walton League, the United Canoe Liveries of the Little Miami and the Cinergy Co.
Six canoe rental shops along the river provided free canoes for clean-up day, among them Morgan's Fort Ancient Canoe Livery in Turtlecreek Township.
Christopher Whitflee, 29, of Oakley -- a clean-up participant for 11 years and part of Mr. Watzek's group -- rattled off a list of memorable river trash.
"I found a McDonald's drive-through sign once. There's always a lot of auto parts and rusty old patio furniture," he said. "And it's always a contest to see who can get the first tire. We display the most prized piece of garbage on the front of the canoe."
The cleanup annually collects about 20 tons of litter, including more than 300 tires.
Impressing "good environmental awareness" in her children was part of the draw Friday for Cathy Brewer, of Wyoming. She was participating in her third cleanup, with her husband, Dick, and sons, Ben, 11, and Jack, 7, all canoeing with a group from Cinergy.
"It's great fun, and it's great for the kids to do something civic-minded," she said. "They get very indignant when they see someone littering."
Melissa Eagle, of Fairfield, brought along two teen-age neighbors Friday for the water-borne cleanup.
"We're trying to keep it and preserve it, so we can come back again and enjoy it," she said.
