THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407010267
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Eric Feber
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The Sunday after Chesapeake schools closed for the summer a family with five children in tow was busy in Sam's Club purchasing needed supplies for the three months ahead.
As the mom and dad were reaching for popsicles, hot dogs, drinks, snacks and other kid summer essentials, the oldest boy, who looked to be about 10 years old, was doing his bit to add his own consumer will on the family's purchases.
As the younger children were getting crankier by the minute, Junior was busy chucking brand names along with other desired expensive items into the family shopping cart.
Mom and dad quickly told Junior to curtail his shopping frenzy.
As things got to the boiling point, dad finally had enough. In his frustration he informed his son he was about to ground him during the first week of his summer vacation.
``You won't leave the house, no park, no pool, no swimming,'' an irritated father said.
Listening to these threats, mom looked at dad and quietly led him a few feet away from the kids and their cart.
She softly told her husband, ``If you ground him you'll be a single father of five when you come home from work.'' Things tossed in the bay
As usual, the recent Clean the Bay Day featured another small flotilla of Deep Creek Ruritan boats.
According to Mike Kirsch, past Deep Creek Ruritan president and zone captain for Clean the Bay Day, the Ruritans launched eight boats with a total clean-up crew of 27 members, friends and volunteers.
He said his fleet concentrated on the High-Rise Bridge section by the Cove (a borrow pit dug out for I-64 construction) and along the Gilmerton Canal, Deep Creek Shores and Deep Creek Locks Park.
Kirsch said his fleet collected a total of 1,800 pounds of trash and debris, filling five truckloads.
``You wouldn't believe the things we found,'' Kirsch said shaking his head.
Among other things Kirsch said his crew fished out:
a four-foot wide shower/tub enclosure.
a bicycle frame with wheels.
tons of nasty cigarette butts.
various and sundry personal hygiene items, details are not necessary.
tons of glass bottles and glass pieces.
a four-foot by eight-foot sheet of plywood.
a dozen tires.
He said the trash was taken to the Deep Creek Ruritan dumpster while the tires were given to a local gas station for recycling. Surprisingly, little aluminum was found, he said.
``I guess people are at least recycling aluminum products,'' Kirsch said.
The flotilla was out from about 9 a.m. until noon. After the clean-up the volunteers were taken to the club's annual fund raising barbecue for a thank-you lunch.
Not bad for the country's largest Ruritan club.
``Currently, we are the largest Ruritan Club in the country, with 110 members,'' he said proudly. ``We battle back and forth between us and the South Norfolk Ruritan Club to see who has the largest club. This year we're it.''
For more information about the Deep Creek Ruritan Club, call its clubhouse at 487-4019. It meets on the third Thursday of each month at its clubhouse at Luray Street, behind the Deep Creek Fire Station. by CNB