Saturday morning, June 12th was the occasion for the 2010 clean-up of the the Bank Street Neighborhood. Organized by Association President Natalie Melo, Volunteers used shovels, rakes and brooms to rid the streets of trash, weeds and sand left over from the winter. The event brought out more than 25 neighbors and other volunteers, including members of the Corky Row Neighborhood Association led by President Carmen Andino. "We were happy to help out," stated Andino who organized a similar clean-up event for the Corky Row neighborhood on May 8th. The city-wide events, organized by Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Perry Long, were a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office, neighborhood associations, the Department of Public Works, Allied Waste, and many other local groups and associations. Click here for photos of the Niagara Neighborhood clean-up, here for the Cook Pond clean-up, and here for the city-wide picnic. For more information about this event or the Association, contact Natalie Melo at 508-679-4119. For more information about the city-wide effort, contact Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Perry Long at 508-676-0324.

(Top row) State Representative Michael Rodrigues joins John Sylvia, Jamile Boulay, John Carvalho, and Ron Cabral as George Kousoulay takes their picture. (Middle row, left and right) Bank Street Neighborhood Association President Natalie Melo is joined by Emily Lopez, Palmira Aguiar, Lorne Lawless and Doug Mindille as they clean up along Grove Street. (Middle row, center) Claude Seraphin picks up trash in the Bank Street Tot Lot. (Bottom row, left) Fernando and Odete Costa are joined by Heraldo Bettencourt to clean-up along North 7th Street. (Bottom row, center and right) Corky Row Neighborhood Association President Carmen Andino introduces Luis Sanchez of the House of Restoration The Good Samaritan Church to neighbor Alice Costa before joining Rev. Marangelien Jovet in weeding along the street.