SAUGUS — In 2020, Trang Le and her husband, Chris Rizza, began walking around their neighborhood in Golden Hills with her dog Free, and along the way, they’d pick up trash. In 2023, it grew into a community event, and the neighborhood is now preparing for a brand new playground to be built.
The event was sponsored by WIN Waste, which provided trash pickers, gloves, volunteers, and other supplies. Selectmen Vice Chair Anthony Cogliano and State Rep. Donald Wong provided food and ice cream. Leo Getz from Junkster Bags helped with disposal. Selectman Frank Federico also helped with the cleanup.
“WIN Waste Innovations is proud to sponsor the cleanup of Golden Hills Park alongside our neighbors in Saugus. When our local elected officials reached out and asked us to support this effort, we were glad to step up,” WIN Waste Plant Manager Elliot Casey said. “Community residents like Trang are the backbone of what makes Saugus a great place to live, and we are honored to stand behind that kind of civic dedication. Supporting community cleanups and charitable initiatives is something we do hundreds of times a year across the communities where we operate, and Golden Hills Park is a beautiful space worth protecting. Being a good neighbor means showing up when it matters, and we would not have it any other way.”
“There are so many people that do so much for our neighborhood on a daily,” Le said, thanking those who always pitch in.
She highlighted Gary Sweezy, Al McCauley, Billy Stuffle, Dorothy Barker, Town Meeting member Dan Kelly, and many others for their tireless efforts to preserve, protect, and clean the neighborhood.
This year, the event focused on more than just the cleanup. Le labeled it a celebration with the new playground coming, and thanked Wong, Cogliano, Corinne Riley, Kelly, and Katrina Berube.
“(Their) dedication and assistance (has made) the park renovation possible,” she said.
Le also thanked her husband for his support over the years.
Le walked the whole neighborhood with a cart and trash picker, gathering all the trash she saw, and going into the water for floating cans and other objects. She noted that Sweezy and others pulled out old tires from the water.
Other community members had separated through different streets for an area-wide effort, with many taking to the water’s edge and near the cell towers. With the help of Junkster Bags, giant bags were filled with tires, a shopping cart, and other large objects.
Her goal, outside of picking up trash and building the new playground, is to leave the neighborhood better than she found it for future generations.
“I’m shocked by the number of people who showed up this year. This is a lot of people, and it’s amazing to see, really,” she said, pointing out a van of Boys & Girls Club members who had arrived to help out.
When the cleanup was finally done, everyone gathered outside Le’s home for food provided by Kowloon.
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
Photo: Elizabeth Della Piana
