Talking trash: Downtown Zumbro River clean-up recap
Release Date: September 15, 2021
Media Contact: Katie Adelman
Rochester Downtown Alliance
Office: 507-216-9886
Email: kadelman@downtownrochestermn.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Talking trash: Downtown Zumbro River clean-up recap
ROCHESTER, Minn.—Twenty bags worth of litter and multiple debris items were pulled from the downtown portion of the Zumbro River during the clean-up project September 7.
The Rochester Downtown Alliance’s Clean and Safe Ambassadors, RDA staff, and City of Rochester Community Action Team members picked up litter and debris from within the river and along on the riverbanks in the RDA’s special service district. This project was made possible through support from Destination Medical Center.
The clean-up group found, collected, and recycled the following items:
- Twenty bags worth of litter
- 52 golf balls
- Large debris like a rusty bicycle, rebar, a plastic garbage container, a cigarette receptacle, metal fence posts, plastic fencing, welding equipment, and a large steel tube
- A Clean and Safe Ambassador’s cousin’s student ID card
“The health of our downtown spaces, including the river, are vital to how our downtown is used and perceived. Our clean-up group was grateful for the opportunity to get outside, roll up our sleeves, and help renew this natural space as place for the public to further appreciate and enjoy,” said Karli McElroy, RDA director of operations.
The RDA’s Clean and Safe Ambassadors will monitor the downtown portion of the Zumbro River to determine how often a river clean-up should occur. The RDA’s ongoing goal is to raise the Zumbro River’s profile as an asset in downtown Rochester.
More information about the downtown Rochester Clean and Safe Ambassador Program can be found here.
About the Rochester Downtown Alliance
The Rochester Downtown Alliance is a nonprofit corporation comprised of a broad range of people representing property owners, business leaders, the city and others with a direct stake in enhanced business and economic development conditions in the downtown district. We work together to build a vibrant downtown community. We believe a strong core positively impacts the greater city of Rochester. Through a series of special events, activities, and initiatives, we create energy, excitement, and a unique character to Downtown Rochester, Minnesota.
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