Turnout collects record haul

Members of the Siesta Key Association, the Siesta Key Village Association and the Bay Island Association joined forces on Saturday to pick up trash on Ocean Boulevard and on Higel/Siesta Drive all the way to the north Siesta bridge. They also collected trash from a 2-mile area of Stickney Point Road as well as Peacock and Old Stickney Point roads.

“With this larger area we collected a record number of bags – 20!” SKA Vice President Peter van Roekens pointed out in an email to the Pelican Press. The record turnout contributed to the success of this Adopt-A-Road Program venture, van Roekens said, with 15 people participating: Beverly Arias, Deet Jonker, Ann Kaplan, Catherine and Bob Luckner, Russell Matthes, Annarita and Malcom Scott, Michael Shay, Mark Smith, Jane and Bob Waechter, Nancy Wilson, Detlef Zimmermann and van Roekens.

SKA board member Michael Shay had told the July 7 SKA meeting audience that volunteers always are welcome for the monthly effort. Kay Kouvatsos, co-owner of Village Café, treats the crew to a free breakfast before the clean-up starts at 9 a.m.