Mitch Stone - Reporter@HighlandsNews.com
Spring rains typically cause litter, branches and even dock floats to end up in Lake Glenville. To help ensure safety for boaters while preserving the beauty of the lake, the Friends of Lake Glenville are hosting their annual Lake Glenville Clean-Up on Saturday, June 6.
Founded in 1985, the Friends of Lake Glenville is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit consisting of residents, property owners, member businesses and concerned individuals assembled to preserve and protect the natural beauty and integrity of Lake Glenville.
The clean-up is free and open to the public, and those interested are encouraged to sign up through the Friends of Lake Glenville website. The event will begin at 9 a.m., with attendees recommended to start closest to their homes and docks and branch out from there.
“I think safety is the key issue with the lake,” said Marianne Smith, Director of Membership & Communication. “Some of the stuff floating in the lake can kill a skier or wreck a boat. We want the lake to be not only clean, but safe.” Litter must be disposed of by 1:30 p.m. at the Pine Creek ramp takeout area or the drop off point on the south side of the lake. “There’s an island called Buck Knob and the caretaker there in the community has donated their barge and track hoe,” said Director-at-Large Tom Albert. “So people on the south side of the lake can come over and we can pick up the stuff and put it on the barge.”
In previous years, volunteers have collected as many as 60 dock floats. Bryan Simon, owner of Glenville Sawmill, will bring his crane to help haul litter from the lake, where it will be placed in a large onshore pile for later disposal. Boats will also use ropes to haul trash to shore.
Albert will help attendees get paired with a boat if they don’t have one and Signal Ridge Marina has also provided a boat.
Mountaintop Rotary of Highlands will provide volunteers to help Simon hook up the crane straps, and a dive team consisting of members from the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad and Highlands Fire and Rescue will help dive for litter in deeper waters.
Smith said she believes the event resonates so strongly in Glenville because of the community it builds and supports.
“I think it’s a feeling of community and shared purpose — those are all good things,” said Smith. “People are just beaming when they’re out there on the lake and pulling stuff into us.”
After the cleanup, attendees are invited to a free lunch at Happ’s Place from 2-4 p.m., where prizes will be offered for biggest load and most unusual item, among others. Baskets are also donated from sponsors. Wristbands for the lunch will be distributed at Pine Creek when loads are dropped off. Other upcoming Friends of Lake Glenville events include the season opener at Brookings Anglers on June 3, the dam release on June 13 and the July 5 fireworks celebration.