The moment the cleanup came into sharp focus

Viewfinder

By Kim Hairston | Sun photographer

April 20, 2008

Morgan State University students Kaneshia Ward, 19, and Tieshe Morgan, 19, pull trash out of the polluted Herring Run. (Sun photo by Kim Hairston / April 5, 2008)

I was looking forward to this assignment to cover the annual Project Clean Stream effort, because Herring Run Park is in my neighborhood. I've walked its paths, run and kicked the soccer ball on its fields, and watched games there.

I've also seen the park's stream filled with plastic bottles and snack bags. And I've noticed the signs warning of the dangerous polluted water.

When I got to the park this time, I was surprised and pleased that the stream looked cleaner than on my last visit.

But still there was much to do. And my part was to add the visuals - often a challenging assignment on these projects because the workers are usually leaning down, their faces obscured.

The Morgan State University ROTC cadets were the second group of cleanup volunteers I spent time with.

When I caught up with them, reporter Gina Davis alerted me to the way some of them were using fallen tree limbs to fish what they could from the water. I never seemed to be in the right place or was fighting against strong backlight, but I kept looking for this image as we walked along.

Then, just as we were ready to head back, Kaneshia Ward, wielding a long wavy piece of wood, lifted a plastic bag toward Tieshe Morgan.

With the time that these and other volunteers spend picking up trash, a new city program to make recycling easier, and the emphasis on reusable bags in stores, I hope we will all see a cleaner Baltimore.

Kim Hairston@baltsun.com