The Arnold Air Society of Syracuse University has adopted a mile stretch of highway just outside of Jamesville, NY on route 173. As many of our Squadron’s ragtag band of only fourteen members that were available pulled together on the morning of Saturday, 4 Oct 08 and rallied at our section of highway with a solitary mission: DO WORK! We arrived at 10 a.m. geared with sweatshirts, latex gloves and plastic bags ready to make big moves. We took an eventful hour and a half march down a mile and back enjoying the company of our companions and the do-good feeling of community service. The short escapade turned out to be quite the adventure characterized by the excitement of a pumpkin farm, horses, and of course the minor mishap of getting stuck in the bushes.
As we trudged along the sleepy, small-town highway, we accumulated all of the waste, carelessly pitched along the disheveled roadside. We collected a variety of items including old bottles, cigarette butts and boxes, rotting cardboard boxes and an assortment of plastic bags. As our hike was coming to a close, we momentarily stopped and admired the pumpkin sale, and thereafter, had a chat with the horses next door. Cadet Lee took particular interest in a tree she was actually taller than as she picked up a bottle beneath its boughs. When our highway was pristine and sparkling with vivacity, we gathered in front of our highway sign with pride and reflected on our pile of garbage. We concluded the morning with a pit stop at Dave’s Diner in Manlius, NY and discussed our possible future plans for the semester, including the Breast Cancer Walk to be participated in the following morning.
We will be revisiting our highway before the lake affects Syracuse with its entourage of snow, when non-biodegradable garbage could be potentially trapped underneath. It was an enjoyable experience and a good way to kick off our semester and get us pumped and ready to tackle bigger projects as the week s roll on.
