On a beautiful Spring day several years ago, I was walking down Broadway and the young man in front of me was eating something out of a package.

As he finished a portion, he would take the paper wrapper and the packaging and just throw it on the sidewalk as he moved forward. I was thinking to myself that his littering was pretty terrible when from behind me there was an extremely loud piercing woman’s voice saying, “hey what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

A small blonde woman came charging past me at full speed continuing to yell at the litterer for his rude behavior. Completely in shock he was standing still and was being verbally accosted by none other than the famous Broadway singer and Hollywood mega star -Bette Midler for littering.

To make matters worse for the litterbug, because she is so famous the guy was now being clocked out with a gifted top volume voice extensively used to reach the cheaper balcony seats resulting in attracting a small crowd of curious onlookers-myself included as Ms. Midler picked up his trash and then showed him where the nearby trash can was located.

It taught me a lesson about doing something about littering. Not being famous I had to seek other more practical alternatives to help keep our environment clean and litter-free.

This is one of the small reasons that if I see trash I try and pick it up and dispose of it responsibly-and it is true “trash brings more trash.” Last year I participated with the Barryville Chamber of Commerce in the annual roadway litter sweep.

My “partner in crime” Perry and I and worked cleaning up the area around the Eagle Observatory on Route 97and then moved up to the first turn off outside Barryville.

We picked up trash, a lot of garbage, broken furniture, and a word to the wise-both of us picked up way more liquor bottles than discarded soda cans and coffee cups for sure!

We worked for about five hours and to this day when I drive by those areas where we were during the Litter Sweep, I look to see how much garbage has accumulated that now needs to get cleaned up.

It is clear that we live in a beautiful place and now get lots of summer visitors so we need to volunteer and do some work so our roads, towns and the mighty Delaware River can maintain their beauty.

The Litter Sweep last year focused the roadways of The Scenic Byway Route 97 so I guess this year we will be doing our volunteering services to keep it looking its best for Summer.

The Barryville Chamber of Commerce Team and new to the Litter Sweep this year the Living in Barryville Team (my Team this year) is part of a litter clean-up campaign from Lumberland to Barryville sponsored by the Upper Delaware Council.

The Litter Sweep event will take place on Saturday, April 23rd from 10-1:00pm. Everyone will meet at the Barryville Cul-de-Sac next to the Shohola Bridge. There each of the teams will then get their assigned locations and receive their safety equipment, trash bags, gloves and t-shirts and special stickers for the Transfer Station.

To join the Litter Sweep you must DM either John Pizzolato or Frank Guzman on Facebook. Frank Guzman, the marvelous Administrator for Living in Barryville Facebook Group and proud Mohican Lake resident, told me “Living in Barryville is proud to co-sponsor the 2022 Litter Sweep. Collectively, as a community, it behoves all of us to protect and maintain the beauty of the Upper Delaware and the Catskill region. Cleaning up trash and litter found in our neck of the woods helps to ensure a clean and healthier habitat for all of us that call this region home.” Volunteers are always needed-the more volunteers the more area of our community gets cleaned.

For more information go to the Chamber’s website at Barryvilleny.com or Living in Barryville group on Facebook.