FMMHP Continue Clean-Up Effort In Caves Area

IRONWOOD, MI - by Monie Shackleford - Sunday, May 2, 2010 - On Saturday, a trash cleanup in the old mining areas of Ironwood, locally known as "the caves area," was organized by the Friends of Miners Memorial Heritage Park (FMMHP). Volunteers were broken into six different groups, each focusing on cleaning a specific part of the caves area. After three hours of work, they had gathered more than two city dump trucks heaping full of trash as well as mounds of tires and scrap metal. Volunteers dragged, among other things, a refrigerator and water heater down a steep trail. In another area, a wringer washer was hauled up a bank. In a third area, tires were individually tied to a rope and pulled up a steep bank, a tire at a time. Mattresses, toys, metal drums, bicycle frames, and a bowling ball were among other items retrieved. Northwinds Natural Food Co-op, Steep Creek Cafe, and Wal-Mart sponsored the cookout that followed.

This was the second cleanup in the caves area in two weeks. During the previous weekend, the Gogebic Range Trail Authority (GRTA) and Norrie Club sponsored another event. Despite all that has been removed, large dump sites still remain in the mined areas of Ironwood. Hundreds of tires are still in ponds and sink holes. A few years of annual cleanup events like those of the last two weekends are needed to make the area not look like a public dumping ground.

Next Saturday is the annual city wide cleanup “Make a Difference Day.” Volunteers interested in picking up trash throughout Ironwood are encouraged to gather at the Depot at 8:00 AM on Saturday, May 8th.

Note: Photo of tires are from both caves cleanups piled together.

Monie Shackleford