Patch Gives Back: Los Gatos Editor, Volunteer Dave Lane Clean Vasona Dam

Yesterday was a special day for me ...

I participated in a service project with the help of local volunteer Dave Lane, West Valley Green Leaf Committee member, who on a weekly basis does clean-up work around Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos.

We picked the area surrounding the new Creekside Sports Complex, which is next to Vasona Dam on the University Avenue side.

Armed with two buckets, pick-up sticks, gloves, hats and sunglasses, we headed behind the chain-link fence surrounding the complex and found styrofoam cups, bottle caps, cigarette butts, half of an old vinyl record, a baseball and a soccer ball and a couple of plastic bags.

We also walked down behind the dam to pick up aluminum cans and plastic and glass bottles, metal pieces, fishing gear and other debris.
 
I was not alone in serving this week as part of Patch's Give 5 program—the initiative that encourages Patch editors across the country to volunteer  five paid work days throughout the year in our communities.

Hundreds of my colleagues also participated.

To volunteer in local clean-ups, Lane explained, he's had to obtain permits from the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department.

Lane has permission to clean the Los Gatos Creek and Vasona Dam from Roberts to Blossom Hill roads and from Blossom Hill Road to Lark Avenue.

That means he's the man that should be credited when most of the pathways of beautiful Vasona Lake County Park are litter free.

The Youth Science Institute is responsible for cleaning one trail, but Lane has the rest of the park.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve with you, Dave Lane and thanks to Patch for making its employees give back to the communities they work in.