Regarding the filthy shoreline

These letters came in regarding this article: Filthy Shoreline needs to be cleaned:

I just had to respond to your article: I grew up in Miami and after many years away, moved back last year. I am living a great little old house on the Miami River. I LOVE being on a working waterfront and have come to see the tugboats as the surgical masters that they really are. However, the issue of garbage on the river is huge.

Last weekend I trimmed back a hedge which grows right at the river’s edge. The section is probably 20-25 feet of waterfront. After removing the plants, I removed 2 giant garbage bags full of recyclable plastic, glass and aluminum. But what was really sad was the full garbage bag of Styrofoam in various states, ranging from new cups to visibly ancient chunks which will not breakdown for thousands of years. If that was my haul from 25 feet of shoreline, imagine what a Miami River cleanup would involve.

Invariably, when I see garbage lobbed from a vessel – and that is nearly every weekend – it is by an idiot tearing through our Manatee/No Wake Zone on a jet ski and slamming all the docked boats with their wake or a boatload of young people.

José E. Latour, Esq.
Miami

I am a Hands on Miami volunteer and volunteer leader. As a volunteer, I can participate on one-time and recurring projects throughout Miami on their calendar. As a volunteer leader, I represent HOM at the projects so that volunteers can participate.

If the people in the article are dedicated enough, I suggest they contact HOM at www.handsonmiami.org to see if their parks can be added to the monthly projects. They will need a park coordinator to work with them. It would help to have a volunteer leader who can cover the projects. For more information, they need to contact the organization.

Barbara Viscito
Miami