How
does a teenager become vice
president of a PA CleanWays chapter? For Corina Bundy
of Port Alleghany, it began two years ago when her Enrichment
teacher challenged students to brainstorm ideas on where to
make a difference in their community.
Their goal was to become active in some organization where they
could assume a leadership role.
"The woods are dirty,"
is what the group wanted to change. Corina and the others assumed
that because they saw tires, household trash and appliances
strewn about the McKean County forests, that there were no ordinances
prohibiting illegal dumping in their county.
Much to their surprise, after contacting the Mayor
of Port Alleghany, they learned that there
were laws about dumping. Digging further, they discovered
from the McKean County Planning Commission that there were ordinances
with penalties and fines. However, there was only
a part-time waste enforcement officer.
Armed with a camera and a desire
to change this situation, the group created a photo
presentation which visually shared with County Commissioners
the scope of the illegal dumping problem in their county.
Following the presentation, Commissioner Stratton
introduced Corina to Paul Howard, a local farmer who shared
her frustration at the illegal dumping situation. He, too, had
been visually recording an illegal dump survey of McKean County
and knew about PA Cleanways reputation
for helping other PA counties successfully address littering
and illegal dumping issues. Working together, they invited
a variety of McKean folks to an introductory meeting where they
heard how a PACW chapter might help them
clean up their county.
The group was excited about what they heard and voted to become
a chapter. When it came time for caring McKean County folks
to step up to serve on a local advisory
board, Paul agreed to be president and Corina, the vice
president! Her goal of becoming a leader was happening!
Corina didn't stop here. Using grant money received
by her Enrichment teacher, she set about learning desktop publishing
and created a 16 page color booklet on
Illegal Dumping in McKean County. Jovanna Porter, her
teacher, describes Corina as her "diamond in the rough,
a young woman not aware of her potential." Adding that
"Corina never quit, no matter how
many new things had to be learned or unfamiliar people needed
to be worked with."
She also coordinated the
new chapter's fourth illegal dump cleanup in 2001 - obtaining
landowner permission, organizing volunteers, trash pickup and
disposal, and soliciting lunch for the hungry crew. The group
cleaned up 2.73 tons of trash and 39 tires. In addition, she
organized volunteers to man the PACW booth
at the McKean County Fair, every day for the entire week.
Besides PACW activities, Corina baby sits, 
works
at Ron's Place, is a junior at Port Alleghany High school, attended
PA Free Enterprise Week, and has managed
to quietly recruit her family to help with PACW projects.
She even got them to help write nearly 200 thank you's for their
largest cleanup.
In April of 2002, PA CleanWays of McKean County
received a Governor's Award for Watershed
Stewardship. What a proud moment for Corina when she
traveled to Harrisburg to meet the governor and receive the
award for her chapter! Her efforts to
clean up her county have truly succeeded.
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Action - Stories
