Politics & Government

A Trash-Free Natick? That's One Resident's Goal

Pat Conaway is also trying to encourage residents to clear their sidewalks after snowstorms and mark fire hydrants.

With a couple dozen of volunteers, Pat Conaway believes Natick can make history.

The long-time resident approached the Board of Selectmen on Jan. 6 asking for help in spreading the word of his ambitious goal of making Natick the first community in the state to be trash-free.

Conaway, an avid blogger on Natick Patch who writes about various clean-up projects he coordinates in town, believes if people hear of his "Big Trash Free Project," they will pitch in to make it happen in 2014.

Find out what's happening in Natickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I need the Selectmen, DPW and Conservation Commission to help spread word," he said.

Conaway said he's looking for people, dog walkers for example, to help empty the 40 trash units that are spread throughout Natick.

Find out what's happening in Natickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"(It's) one of Natick's 'Dirty Two Dozen,'" he wrote. "Noticed a common trademark — high sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco products, a mixture of numbing and escape substances, plus a fair number of shredded lottery tickets (lost hope).  Pain, anger, loss, ignorance and miseducation. Perhaps the most alarming and sad message was the disconnection from the earth, the neighborhood, community, wildlife and fellow citizens."

Another project Conaway is coordinating is "Greensafe Neighbors."

In this already snowy winter season, Conaway said he's noticed 90 percent of sidewalks are not shoveled by homeowners after storms, making them impassable.

"I want to have homeowners shovel their sidewalks and work with private plowers," he said. "The DPW sometimes leaves big piles at corner streets. We can do better than that. I'm asking you to help me nudge people in that direction."

Conaway said he's gone around tagging fire hydrants to help out firefighters if there is a call to certain neighborhoods.

"Town sidewalk and street plows leave large berms on street corners," he wrote in a recent blog. "95% of the newly built curb cuts and bumpy steel ramps for handicap accessibility were totally obstructed by large snow berms (probably illegal, but who can enforce it?). People generally walk in the street for a number of days after the storms. And very few fire hydrants have identifying flags.

Town Administrator Martha White said she would post information about the projects on the town's website.

"I'm asking to help raise awareness and connect our neighbors," Conaway said, "that’s my message."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here