Bay Parkway gets a mini-makeover

About 200 residents came out on May 6 to clean up Bay Parkway between 60th and 86th Streets, an effort spearheaded by Councilmember David Greenfield and Assemblymember Bill Colton.

Greenfield announced his plan to revitalize Bay Parkway back in March. He said this clean-up is just the first step in ridding the commercial corridor of debris and improving quality-of-life in the area.

“We are hoping to make this an annual tradition. It’s just the start of our efforts to keep Bay Parkway clean,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a process. Bensonhurst today is a diverse community. A cleaner community brings the community together.”

Members of the United Chinese Association, St. Athanasius Church and Boy Scout Troop 99, as well as students from FDR High School and Bensonhurst residents rolled up their sleeves, picked up trash and swept up dirt along the commercial strip for just about an hour and a half.

“People are having fun. It sends a nice message to people in the neighborhood that people of all backgrounds are talking and working together,” Greenfield commented.

This is the third clean-up this year that Colton has participated in. “We came out because we are getting a message across. When you have a clean neighborhood, people feel good about each other and work together,” Colton told this paper.

“We are beginning to gain momentum and the neighborhood is getting cleaner as the word gets out to keep it clean,” he went on, adding that he started his Bensonhurst clean-ups last spring. “We will partner city and state to get that word out.”

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