When Ward 3 City Councilman John Donegan received a phone call from the community life service coordinator at Presidential Place about trash accumulating behind the property, he and Citywide Councilman Steve Stycos responded.

They were joined by the Cranston High School East football team this for a cleanup at the site this past weekend.

“They reached out to me to discuss several issues,” Donegan said. “One of which was the collection of trash that had accumulated along the fence in their ‘backyard.’ Their backyard abuts a slope which is accessible by a city-owned plot at the end of Farmington Avenue and Grant Avenue.”

Prior to a fence being installed, people were dumping tires, mattresses, car bumpers, a washing machine, trash and other items at the location. The dumping had subsided since the installation of the fence at the park, but the trash had been left there.

Presidential Place, located off Lincoln Ave, is an elderly low-income apartment building with about 50 units.

“Steve Stycos and I wanted to assist the residents of Presidential Place so that they could enjoy their grounds, and not have the unsightly trash along their property line,” Donegan said.

Stycos then reached out to Cranston East football coach Tom Centore about getting the football team involved to assist with lugging out the trash. Fresh out of football practice, a busload of 40 football players arrived to help.

“We had a football practice this morning,” Centore said. “This afternoon served as a great team builder as we helped within our community.”

(Text by Meri R. Kennedy/Photos by Steve Popiel)