Boy
Scouts Complete Phase I of Wopsy Mountain Lookout Cleanup
On
a foggy April 7, Boy Scout Troop 92 of Bellwood completed the initial
phase of a cleanup of the Wopsy Mountain Lookout in Logan Township.
The work is part of a long-term plan for cleanup and beautification
of the area being developed by PA CleanWays of Blair County.
Jim
Kohan organized the cleanup for his Eagle Scout project. Eight Scouts
and their leaders removed litter and dumped items from the road leading
to the lookout, the parking and lookout area, and the adjacent wooded
areas. The group worked for five hours collecting 70 bags of garbage,
a refrigerator, nine tires, burn barrels, a fan, a television, and even
a large Christmas decoration.
Support
for the cleanup was provided by PennDOT, Southern Alleghenies Landfill,
and Mallow Hardware. Troop 92 has adopted the roadway through PennDOT's
Adopt-A-Highway program and will continue to keep it clean.
Scoutmaster
Patrick Flynn noted, "As an Eagle Scout project, I think this one is
great. Jimmy decided rather than talking about how bad the problem was
at Wopsy, he'd do something about it. Some of the trash up here is twice
as old as Jimmy."
Providing
a spectacular view of Altoona and parts of Blair County, the Wopsy Lookout
has unfortunately been impacted by thoughtless dumping and littering
for many years. In the future, the Blair CleanWays chapter will be developing
a comprehensive plan to clean up and stop further dumping, restore and
beautify the area, and preserve its natural and historical significance.
Individuals and representatives of community groups, local governments,
and other agencies are invited to take part in the planning and implementation
of this effort.
