Forest Drive group planning cleanup effort for Annapolis Middle fence

The area along the Forest Drive side of Annapolis Middle School is an eyesore.

But it might be hard to see it when driving down the road, unless you're stuck in traffic.

A fence running alongside the Forest Drive side of Annapolis Middle is rusty, its base covered in six inches of leaves and a row of barbed wire at its top. That barbed wire doesn't keep anyone out or in, as the fence ends at the driveway of the school.

The Forest Drive-focused organization, known as SOFO, plans to do something about the ragged 500-foot fence: From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, the group plans to hold a cleanup effort at the fence.

Volunteers are being asked to help remove rust, paint the fence black and pull down the barbed wire, said Jennifer Balducci, SOFO president. The first phase is cleaning the fence. Students will make and hang up art for the second phase.

SOFO is asking anyone interested in helping with the restoration efforts to sign up ahead of time or show up Saturday.

"I've never seen anyone out here working on this, and I've been here for 15 years," Balducci said.

SOFO was created to focus on the South Forest Drive business corridor.

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SOFO President Jennifer Balducci, left, along with Annapolis Alderman Jared Littman and his son Zach Littman, 8, discuss the project. The local civic business group SOFO will be working on beautifying the rusty fence along Forest Drive at the Annapolis Middle School as well as removing the barbed wire from the top during an event Saturday April 22. (By Paul W. Gillespie / Staff)

But the group is expanding its focus throughout Forest Drive, with the fence project an example of that, Balducci said.

Annapolis Middle sits at about the middle of north and south Forest Drive.

The only thing volunteers are asked to bring are a rake and gloves. Other supplies will be provided by K&B True Value, Ward 5 Alderman Jared Littmann's hardware store on Forest Drive.

Littmann, who visited the fence with Balducci last week, said he was more than happy to be involved with the project.

There are quite a few kids who walk along this fence and it's an eyesore for them and people passing by, Littmann said.

"We want to take the barbed wire down so they don't feel like they are in a prison," Littmann said.

The cleaning efforts on Saturday currently are the only scheduled dates, so Balducci is hoping to get enough volunteers to clean as much of the fence as possible in three hours.

There are plans to hold more cleaning dates, especially if there is enough interest from volunteers, Balducci said.

Anyone interested to volunteer can visit www.sofoannapolis.com/events and click the sign up link. Businesses that wish to collaborate with SOFO on the project can contact Balducci at info@sofoannapolis.com.