Ironwood Fall cleanup day

By TOM STANKARD

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Ironwood - On a cold Saturday morning, Ironwood residents dropped off unwanted items for the annual Fall Cleanup Day.

As the clock struck 8 a.m., Ironwood Mayor Kim Corcoran started to check people in on Ayer Street and directed car after car to one of two garbage trucks.

In the lot next to Ironwood Dance Company, several volunteers picked up items from trailers, pickup trucks and trunks of cars to have them discarded into dumpsters provided by Eagle Waste.

Throughout the morning, local residents disposed of plywood, furniture, old drywall, broken electronics, worn out books and other unwanted items. Some unique items were dropped off as well, such as an old-time radio.

Bill Wohlgemuth dropped off several big items in a trailer. He pulled in with 10 mattress', several furniture pieces and carpeting.

With lots of items to get rid of, Albert Velmer and Paul Porter discarded two trailer loads of junk.

When the dumpsters were full, Craig Miller, of EW, operated one garbage truck to dump the waste into it.

"It was scary," he said. "I didn't know what was going to fall into the truck."

In the other garbage truck, Nathaniel Doucette, of EW, and his daughter, Annalise, manned the controls.

"It was fun," she said.

Towards 10 a.m., Ironwood City Manager, Scott Erickson said the initial rush was over and residents began occasionally dropping off waste.

Corcoran said the turnout was less compared to the spring cleanup, but the event was is a good service for the community.

"It gives citizens an opportunity to get rid of bigger things that they can't put in their garbage," she said.

After a hard day's work, Erickson manned the grill and made bratwursts and pizza burgers stuffed with cheese.

"You have to keep the volunteers happy," he said. "Then they will want to come back."

Full of waste, the garbage trucks and dumpsters were transported by Eagle Waste employees to Eagle River be properly disposed of at their facility.