Cleaning Up The Willamette, One Sock At A Time

By Amelia Templeton (OPB)
June 27, 2015 2:27 p.m.

Volunteers and a work crew from Inverness Jail cleaning up Poet's beach on the Willamette River.

Amelia Templeton / OPB

Rocks. Socks. And an old pier. Those are among the things volunteers working with SOLVE and the Human Access Project pulled from the banks of the Willamette River Saturday.

Assisted by an inmate work crew, the group started the day combing Poet's beach, a strip of sand near the foot of the Marquam Bridge in downtown Portland, armed with plastic bags, gloves, and kitchen sifters.

"We're just sifting the sand for glass and other sharp things, so that way people don't puncture their feet and they can have a safe place to walk," explained volunteer Steve Harrington.

Harrington said he was participating on behalf of Let's Kick Ass Portland, a group for AIDS survivors and their caregivers. He said the group is looking forward to hanging out on the beach late in the summer,"just to socialize, enjoy each others company, and be blessed that we're all here together," he said.

Nearby, a dozen inmates from the Inverness Jail dragged rocks, metal, and other heavy debris out of the water, to make the shallows more hospitable for swimmers, boaters, and migrating salmon.

"It just feels good to get out here and help," said Michael Peppler, one of the inmates.

Asked if he would ever swim in the Willamette, Peppler did not hesitate.  "I would dive in right now. I would do a cannon ball right now," he said.

The city is making it easier for you to dive in. Portland Mayor Charlie Hales set aside $300,000 in the city's budget to improve recreational access to the Willamette.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Amelia Templeton / OPB

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: