Making a difference at Millcrest

On June 26, help a Norwood teen make a difference at Lower Millcrest Park.

Diana Ferra Villalobos, a Norwood resident and senior at Mount Notre Dame Academy, is organizing a clean-up of Lower Millcrest Park from 9 a.m. to noon June 26. Norwood Together and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful are supporting the project.

To help, all you have to do is show up!

Here’s an essay Villalobos wrote about why she decided to clean up Lower Millcrest:

The Meaning of Millcrest
By Diana Ferra Villalobos

The one planet that allows us to live is deteriorating. Unfortunately, I did not come to that conclusion until I saw the effects of it.

In 2020, our world was turned upside-down, especially with COVID-19 and quarantining.  However, we must not forget the tragic wildfires in California that had taken many souls and homes. From the moment I saw the skies turn grey, the birds fly away, and the trees turn to ashes, I knew that our only home was being destroyed. I want a better, more beautiful earth for us all. This is why my project focuses on Millcrest park.

 I moved to Norwood in December 2019, but it wasn’t until this year that I frequented Millcrest. It was also this year that I attended my very first clean-up (also at Millcrest), and it came to my attention that there is a lot more garbage than I expected. I went to this clean-up and had to move around the roots and plants just so I could reach a can of Sprite. I believe that my family and I spent around three hours there, but we couldn’t get everything. I don’t want it to be that way anymore.

I want us to walk around Millcrest freely without having to see a bag of chips, cans, or beer. Not only is this dangerous for the little ones, but it also harms our plant life. The space that the garbage is taking up could have been for flowers, but now it is reserved for plastic debris. However, that can change. We can change that, which is why this project is so important to me. Not only are we taking initiative, but we are also creating space for new life to grow. The earth has allowed us to survive, I am simply hoping we can return the favor.

Continue ReadingMaking a difference at Millcrest

Norwood Clean-Up Week is March 20-27!

The goal: Get our city ready for a spring and summer of fun! The week includes several city-wide, volunteer Clean-Up events, opportunities for you and your neighbors to work together to get rid of winter mess. Here’s the schedule: 

  • Montgomery Road Clean-Up: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 20; meet at City Hall to get supplies.
  • Knothole Baseball Field Clean-Up: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 20; meet at Dorl Field.
  • Lower Millcrest Cutting Party: 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 24; volunteers will be cutting out invasive undergrowth; bring gloves, saws, and loppers, if you have them. 
  • Citywide Parks Clean-Up: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 27; meet at your favorite park and bring gloves and yard tools (rakes, etc.) if you have them. 

During the week, we hope you will take the opportunity to clean up around your own house and neighborhood. Pick up yard waste bags (FREE!) from the Norwood Health Department, 2059 Sherman Avenue. Report potholes or other issues to Public Works with the city’s new See, Click It, Fix It! app. Go on a litter walk with your family.

LITTER WALK CONTEST
And here’s your chance to win that $50 Lowe’s gift card. During Clean-Up Week, go on a litter walk in your neighborhood and take a picture of you and the trash you pick up. Post that picture on Norwood Together’s Facebook page. Every photo is one entry in a raffle. On March 27, we’ll pick a winner. 

Watch our Facebook page and this newsletter for more updates on Norwood Clean-Up Week. 

Continue ReadingNorwood Clean-Up Week is March 20-27!