Workout for 3 becomes a cleanup for all

Three women who enjoy chatting while walking fast for exercise also pick up litter to help their community.

By EBONY WINDOM
Published July 6, 2004

LAND O'LAKES - They've been dubbed the bag ladies. One neighbor jokingly calls them the "trashy ladies."

A few months ago, a tiny group of Lake Padgett South residents began an impromptu cleanup project.

Nicole Webster, Dawn Martin and Darlene Jagodzinski scour the streets each morning, armed with trash bags.

They walk along a 3-mile stretch of Weeks Boulevard and Collier Parkway grabbing crushed soda cans, cigarette butts and plastic wrappers.

It's all about taking pride in the community, said Martin, 66. But, their efforts are two-fold.

"We're not just beautifying; it's an environmental thing, too," Martin said.

It began in January when Webster, 49, started walking for exercise. When she spotted litter, she scooped it up. In March, Martin saw Webster in action and joined her. Jagodzinski, 48, pitched in, too.

Six hands are definitely better than two, Webster said. Having three people on board cuts the time.

The group tidies up along streets within their subdivision and works its way east. Martin grabs old, soggy newspapers from yards and tosses them in a trash bag. They venture out toward Lake Myrtle Elementary and then Collier Parkway. Chatting, laughing and collecting garbage.

"We don't think of it as an effort," Martin said. "It's easy to walk fast and pick up. It's satisfying."

On busy roads such as Collier, they split up. One person handles the median, while the other two take to the roadsides. Together, Webster, Martin and Jagodzinski collect about six small bags of trash. Everything from empty liquor bottles to fast food bags.

Passers-by are impressed.

"Some people honk and wave. They say, "You're doing a great job,' " Webster said with a grin.

Along their route, the group stops to say "good morning" to neighbors.

They appreciate their work, Webster said.

One neighbor suggests they solicit local businesses for donations such as garbage bags and gloves. For now, the three stuff their pockets with plastic grocery bags each day. They call it recycling. The plastic sleeves from their daily newspaper become makeshift gloves to pick up sticky candy wrappers and other litter. Martin is not afraid to pick up road kill, either.

Jagodzinski laughs as she recalls the time Martin snatched a dead possum by the tail and tossed it into a trash bag.

In her own defense, Martin chuckles and insists she only wanted to save it from becoming a vulture's lunch.

On hot, muggy mornings, the women wear hats, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. Webster dons comfy shorts and sneakers. To make the job easier, Martin's husband invented an odd belt, complete with tiny hooks for attaching trash bags. It was a gag gift for Webster. But she admits, she's too embarrassed to wear it.

"My friends joke and say "now that you're retired, you've become a garbage lady," Webster said.

[Last modified July 5, 2004, 21:59:05]