By SUZANNE DOWNING
A grassroots cleanup effort led by students, parents, and private citizens moved thousands of pounds of trash off Fairbanks streets Monday, underscoring how quickly the community can mobilize when city services stall.
A group of football players from Lathrop High School volunteered to pick up trash, teaming up with a private trash hauling company and a local tour guide who followed the crew with a van to provide a warming space. In just over three hours, the volunteers collected about 19,000 pounds of trash.
The cleanup targeted the Riverview neighborhood and the so-called “presidential neighborhood” — streets named for presidents behind the old Kmart and Sears buildings — areas residents said had been skipped for days. Some of the trash had been gnawed and scattered by ravens, with piles growing large along curbs.
The effort began around 11:30 a.m. in -10 to -20 degree weather, comparatively mild after the recent stretch of -50 to -60 that city officials cited when suspending trash pickup. Volunteers focused first on routes they were told had been ignored the longest.
The driver-owner of the trash truck, John Thies, owner of Golden Heart Waste Management, initially offered to pay the landfill tipping fee himself. After word of the volunteer “trash brigade” reached City Hall, Mindy O’Neill agreed the city would be billed for the tipping fee at the borough-owned landfill.
Video: Golden Heart Waste Management
Meanwhile, the mayor announced Monday morning that the city would resume trash pickup later this week — another positive outcome that followed the volunteer action.
“We are going to donate our trucks and drivers,” Thies said Monday morning. “We spend a lot of effort to make sure we can run in the cold. Since we started on in 2019, we have run every day we have work to do and the landfill is open. I understand the cold weather and how it affects equipment and labor. We have the ability to help. As community members, it’s only right to help out where we can. We have the tools, and there is no reason to leave them in the garage.”
Golden Heart Waste Management has a long record of community involvement in Fairbanks, including volunteering time and equipment for the annual Golden Heart Clean-Up Day, hosting the Golden Heart Family Fun Day at Pioneer Park, and sponsoring more than 30 local nonprofits and youth sports organizations.
The student volunteers were mobilized by Luke Balash, head coach for the Lathrop High School football team.
“We have a bunch of great parents and kids involved in our program who are always happy to help when called on to make our community a better place,” Balash said. “I anticipated some hesitation with the cold temps and it being the last two days of winter break, but within a half hour of putting out the word to our football community we had a half dozen volunteers ready to work.”
Local businesses pitched in as well. Sunrise Bagel and Espresso sent over hot chocolate so the players could warm up between loads in the support van.
The cleanup stands as a good-news story for Fairbanks — and a pointed reminder. When city leadership falters, others in the community are willing to put on their creative hats and keep the city going, with or without City Hall’s direction.
9 thoughts on “Lathrop Football Team members score accolades after collecting trash in Fairbanks, when mayor stopped city service”
Didn’t take long to see what joke Mindy is. You voted for this!
Heartwarming story!
Enabling either will make you give up and not care about what these leaders do or don’t do, Or mobilizes you to change your tactics for change
The only thing residents have done was saved the taxpayer from paying too much out in overtime when the lazy workers go back to work, if the private citizens can keep this up until they do go back to work
Alaskans are better at cleaning up the messes left behind others. Not yet learned how to keep the messes from being formed from the first place.
What happens when a leader shuts the gas off because of need to conserve energy? When the gas supply runs out?
How will residents cover that one?
Like it Cook Inlet gas reserve runs out of gas. That would be a mess and impossible to keep everyone warm.
Alaskans need to take a mirror look at themselves and change their leaders for leaders who more conservative and leaner government policies will send us into leaner and harder times, but create an Alaska that is heading into an independent, innovative, and financially stronger State. Else we will continue facing crisis’ and cleaning up the messed left behind poor leaders.
Tina, still waiting for your announcement to run for a municipal or legislative office, since it seems YOU have ALL the answers!
Congrats to the football team, their coach and all the residents, who took the initiative and got it done!
Was this a lesson in how much better the private sector works, than a unionized local government?
Good work, boys! Your community appreciates you!
Say, it appears there is more trash at City Hall. I recommend that the football team show up at the mayor’s office and load the entire space into the big dumpster. Starting with the occupant.
Hoo rah Malemutes! 🐕🐕🐕🐕🛷🚶♂️