Hamtramck Clean Sweep gears up for the big day

By Ian Perrotta
It’s spring, and you know what that means – it’s time for the annual Hamtramck Clean Sweep.
This year, the event will be held on Saturday, May 15, and will go from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. As in the past, the day will begin with a meeting at People’s Community Services on Jos. Campau and Danforth, where volunteers will break into teams and tackle sections of the city.
While the event will be run mostly in the same manner that it has been in previous years, there will be a few differences – tweaks to the process that should result in higher productivity. Volunteers will be assigned three main tasks to ensure their efforts produce tangible results. Some will focus on light debris, others will concentrate on bulk items and a few will help ensure the day runs smoothly.
Also differing this year will be an increased amount of coordination. In addition to the day of the Clean Sweep, there will be 30-40 people serving court-ordered community service on both the Saturdays before and after. Their efforts will help bookend the community endeavor. Additionally, a cleanup by students from Hamtramck High School is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 14.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Clean Sweep, it is a community-wide effort to beautify the city. Residents are encouraged to participate in the event, and it is a great way to get to know your neighbors. And as an added bonus, if you’ve been meaning to get that pile of junk in your yard, basement or garage cleaned up, this is the time – there will be just under a dozen dumpsters scattered at various sites throughout the city, waiting for your trash.