Cleanup underway at Minneapolis parks, beaches following Fourth of July celebrations
MINNEAPOLIS -- Holiday revelers left behind spent fireworks, empty cans, and bottles across city beaches and parks. But there was a group determined to clean up the mess on Wednesday morning.
Gayle McEachran was one of the 100 park keepers who started work at 5 a.m. He had a daunting task ahead of him: cleaning up the parking lots, beaches, and volleyball courts around Bde Maka Ska.
"It looks like a warzone," she said. "Basically there's trash, fireworks covering everything. It's bad," he said. "You get some who do clean up - I'll give them that. They'll put stuff next to the garbage . . . but the majority is just, leave it."
People left behind not only fireworks and food, but chairs, blankets, and towels.
But six hours later, Thomas Beach looked pristine. It's hard work, and even deflating at times. McEachran knows why it's worth it.
"Because we take pride in our work," he said.
Park keepers are around every day of the week during the summer months helping keep parks clean.
McEachran said it was his 37th July 5 cleanup and his last; he's retiring at the end of the year.