“Moon Lake seems to have a bad reputation and I get it, but it isn’t all true. Many of us out here raised our kids here and we care about this community and how it looks. It is several slum lords that don’t care or people that have inherited property but don’t really want it so it is neglected” said Martini.

“Then there are the construction workers that will come out here late at night and dump construction debris in an empty lot. Or those that are paid by businesses that replace your tires to take old tires to the dump but they choose to pocket the money and dump them here.

Waste Management and Code cannot go on private property to gather trash, but the volunteers can, so in the past some of us would push as much as we could to the roadside so they could come by with the trucks and their equipment and haul it away. However we are all getting older and we need younger people to help, but most won’t and for us to rake and bag someone else’s garbage just can’t happen.

Once we pick a date for the clean-up (we try to have it just before Easter) the county makes the flyers and gives them to us to post. We allow people who are elderly, disabled veterans or just disabled to contact us and get on our assistance list. We need their address and phone number and exactly what we are picking up. They must have everything bagged unless it is furniture or appliances of course, again we will not rake and bag your garbage. Saturdays are the busiest days because that is when we have volunteers, Sunday is family day and most of us are in church but we have had one or two that will come out and help a little more.

Here is our past track record we can’t wait to see what this year is even though we know there are some lots that we can’t get the trash out of but we hope Code does do something” she said.

Our first 2018 Moon Lake Clean-up we removed 132.11 tons of trash From Friday to Sunday

Year two 2019 we removed 174.78 tons of trash over this week end

Year 3 2020 Moon Lake Clean up that was February 1st. we collected 179 tons of trash over this weekend.

Year 4 2021 Moon Lake Clean up this was the year we had Christine Fitzpatrick as Commissioner, she gave us 1 day and we collected 90.59 tons.

Year 5 2022, Thanks to Pasco County's Code Enforcement & Solid Waste teams we got our week end back, March 5th. And March 6th. We removed 160.67 tons from the Moon Lake Estates area.

According to Alan Bibblecomb that is 737.15 TONS! 0r (1,474,300 lbs.)

FYI: a few years ago we brought back the Moon Lake parade and each year it gets bigger. The community loves it and they end up down at the park and serve hot cocoa and cookies and socialize.

There is the trunk or treat at the park as well and twice we did a Haunted Maze but again at our age we decided that we weren’t doing it any more lol.

I can secure funding from Thrivent to help feed the volunteers for the clean-up and whatever goes over that amount comes out of Sandra’s or my pocket. Normally we don’t go over budget, but this year with the high costs of everything I had to enlist some help. My friend Roger Muller owns Second City Eats, he got me supplies at his cost and even helped prepare it in his restaurant kitchen. This year’s food budget was double over the past years so between Thrivent, Roger and myself we were able to feed the crew. Sandra supplied coffee and pastries for coffee breaks and deserts and Martin Smith our volunteer coordinator bought and supplied the work gloves.