#volunteer-cleanup

#volunteer-cleanup

Within a few minutes of moving down the estuary from Jack London Square, it started looking like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. Boats, big and small, sank or half-sunk along the length of the estuary. Spicer pointed out a large sailboat listing on its side, which neighbors say has been disabled for months. "It was actually anchored in the center of the channel for quite some time. A lot of our community members reported it," she said.

My enduring vision of a broom-swept interior just keeps passing before my eyes, says Nancy Lehrkind, who is spearheading the renovation of the historic building. She says the next tasks include graffiti removal from the old stone walls (built by the Works Progress Administration during the FDR years) and more landscaping cleanup. Volunteers will also decorate the beloved storybook station with holiday lights and staff an information booth at next week's Montclair Village Holiday Stroll.

According to the U.S. National Park Service, tourists account for over 300 million visits to national parks each year . But even more staggering is the 70 million tons of trash that is left behind . While a majority of this waste ends up in garbage cans and recycling bins, hundreds of thousands of pieces of trash still end up scattered in the wilderness.

The Cupertino Symphonic Band is hosting its annual fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. at the Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N. Stelling Road. The family-friendly concert features patriotic music honoring veterans, as well as contemporary and classical selections, movie and theater musical favorites. Admission is free. Donations of canned goods benefit West Valley Community Services. Free snacks and coffee will be provided. The band is always looking for new wind instrument and percussion players. For more information, visit www.cupertinosymphonicband.org.