“Our community is large and wildly diverse, which is at the same time our strength and our weakness. #Activate10 is a movement seeking to increase communication between individuals and organizations across Fremont County and to promote positive action in our communities.”
(Riverton, WY) – With concerns about the amount of overgrown weeds growing and taking over several areas of the city, members who have joined StepUpRiverton are planning a city-wide clean-up event for this Saturday, August 26, with a focus on weeding and cleaning up Riverton’s streets, sidewalks, alleyways, and vacant lots.
Individuals and service/volunteer organizations are all invited and welcome to meet up in the Riverton City Hall parking lot at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday to join in the clean-up efforts…wear gloves, bring water, and bring weeders, mowers, shovels, hoes, etc.
Organizer Cherry Boles said that they have one riding mower for the heavily weeded vacant lots, one 3-wheeled trimmer, four regular weed whackers, and 3-4 regular lawn mowers. There will also be a list of areas in need of cleanup.
“We will have rakes, shovels, trash bags, and water,” Boles said. “We will be bagging in the orange bags that the highway uses for clean up and putting the filled bags in the City Hall dumpsters…we have a trailer, but we are in need of trucks or trailers to help pick up and haul trash bags back to City Hall.”
Those using weed whackers must wear long pants, gloves, and eye protection. It is asked that adults handle the power equipment and others pack weeds into the bags.
A pizza lunch is scheduled for around 1:00 p.m. in City Park.
Riverton Community Watch’s Greg Tallabas will be available for businesses or residences with graffiti that needs to be painted over. For those who cannot attend on Saturday, RCW encourages all Riverton residents to network with their neighbors and the property owners in their neighborhoods and hold their own cleanup day.
At the last Riverton City Council meeting, resident Deanna Reach stood before the council during public comment and said that the weeds were a “serious problem,” mentioning areas in her neighborhood on Sunset Drive in need of weed control and maintenance. Reach said that there were vacated houses that had weeds growing up to the windows, garbage, and mice problems.
“I have a house that I pay over $100 a month for water so I could have green grass and have my house nice for the neighborhood,” Reach said. “Right across the street from me is an empty lot where they tore down the house and the weeds grow like crazy.”
In March 2019, another group, Kickin’ Trash in Riverton, had been a part of a nationwide TrashTag clean-up challenge. Since then, the group has promoted and supported many Riverton clean-up events on their Facebook page, and has also shared posts on StepUpRiverton’s event on Saturday. Information is also shared on the Riverton Community Watch website at rivertonwatch.org.
For updates and information about Saturday’s clean-up, visit and/or join the StepUpRiverton Facebook group.
