Get ready for spring sprucing

Baltimore’s Super Spring Sweep Thing, the city’s annual day of seasonal outdoor cleaning, is approaching, and officials are reminding residents to get involved with their community efforts.

The event, which takes place on Saturday, April 21, runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and will concentrate on city gateways and city facilities. City workers will be cleaning storm drains, painting fire hydrants and traffic poles, replacing traffic signs, pruning trees, fixing street lights, mulching vacant lots and removing graffiti.

Previous clean-up efforts have concentrated on other areas, such as alleys and dirty yards.
Since 2000, the citywide clean-ups have drawn over 52,000 volunteers and collected 16,000 tons of of debris.

The city will provide community groups with gloves, brooms, rakes, and shovels for neighborhood clean-up work taking place that day. To sign up and receive supplies, call 410-396-4572.

The Baltimore Guide will carry an article detailing specific community activities and listing where people can go to get involved. Send the Guide the time and location of your clean-up, as well as a list of jobs that you expect to do, as well as a contact person.

Information can be mailed to The Baltimore Guide at 526 S. Conkling Street, Baltimore, MD 21224, faxed to 410-732-6604, or e-mailed to newsroom@baltimoreguide.com. Deadline to submit information for publication is Friday, April 13.

For those who want to get involved with clean-up efforts prior to the big day, April 14 is Clean Streams Day, and the Patterson Park Boat Lake Team holds its first official clean-up of the season othat day begininng at 8 a.m. Help clean the lake, remove trash, pick invasive plants and more. Info: Lesley@pattersonpark.com or 410-276-3676.

A Shape Up Parks effort takes place in Thames Street Park that day as well; see page 6 for information.