City invites residents to bike park cleanup this weekend

Andrea Hancock, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
·1 min read

May 15—The City of Norman is inviting residents to a community cleanup Saturday at Creekside Bike Park.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the City's Ward 1 Councilmember Austin Ball and Environmental and Sustainability Manager Michelle Loudenback will host a trash cleanup. The City will provide plastic gloves, trash bags and trash grabbers; Ball says all participants need to bring is closed-toed shoes and a good attitude.

The cleanup is the brainchild of Susan Sparks Smith, who Ball has previously coordinated with last year to hold a cleanup at Colonial Park.

"She used to do Blue Thumbs, and she does so much work in the community," Ball said. "She always comes up with great ideas and she gets me rolling."

May is National Bike Month, and Saturday also happens to be National Kids to Park Day, which encourages parents to help their children connect with local parks and public lands. Ball said the coincidence makes it all the more auspicious for getting families out to the bike park.

"The terrain is a little rough in the bike park, but Austin told me that there are plenty of areas in the park that people of most ages can pick up litter," Smith said in a message to The Transcript. "However, we are encouraging as many high schoolers and college-aged people to participate as possible."

Parking for the bike park can be found behind the shopping center on Lindsey Street and 24th Avenue SW.

While all necessary supplies will be provided by the city, residents are also encouraged to wear bug spray. Those with wading boots may also want to bring them, so they can pick up trash found in the creek.