76°F
weather icon Clear

Beauty and the beach: Group aims to restore lake’s appeal by picking up trash

When many people are waking up and starting their morning routine, a group of Boulder City residents are hard at work cleaning up the beaches at Lake Mead.

Recently, Mike “Downhill Mike” Scheur went to Lake Mead National Recreation Area with his family and they were appalled by the amount of trash on the beaches.

“I took my daughters to the beach because it was so hot,” he said. “They were disgusted by it.”

Scheur said he decided to do something about it.

“There are some things you can’t fix,” he said. “This seemed fixable.”

A little more than a month ago, he organized a group of volunteers to meet on Thursday mornings and clean up different beaches at the park.

“We just go where it looks the worst,” he said.

Dominique Spitzers said she’s been part of the group since it started and it helps keep her busy since she is unemployed due to the pandemic.

“I think it’s disgusting that people leave trash like this. … The worst thing I find is fishing lines,” she said. “They’re bad for all the animals and for us. A lot of them still have hooks in them.”

“We come down here quite often, me and the family,” said Jose Torres. “We see a lot of the trash.”

Torres said Thursday was his third time participating with the group.

“Something like this can be hard to do by yourself,” he said. “We can make more of a dent in a group.”

Scheur said in its first five weeks the group has collected 88 bags of trash and 12 buckets of glass and metal items. It has also provided at least 50 hours of manpower cleaning the beach.

“My estimate, based on 20 pounds in each bag, is one ton of trash has been removed so far,” he said.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Public Affairs Officer Christie Vanover said help from these volunteers and others is an asset.

“Having support from community volunteers is a huge benefit to the park,” she said. “This summer, nine different community groups and organizations donated their time to help remove nearly 7,000 pounds of litter left behind on beaches, overlooks and coves. The total amount of time donated is equivalent to more than seven weeks of an employee working full time. The independent sector values this volunteer time at around $8,500.”

Scheur said one of his goals for his group is to make the beach look like it’s “not disgusting” when people go there.

“More people are apt to litter if they see trash on it,” he said.

Approximately a dozen people help out each week and new people frequently join.

“I live here,” said Joan Sibava, who participated for the first time Sept. 10. “I retired here. I love Lake Mead and I think it’s disgusting that people leave trash here.”

Resident Valerie McNay said she thinks it’s a “great idea” to do the beach cleanup and has worked with the group three times so far.

“This is just such a difficult time,” she said.

McNay also said the beach has been used by a lot of people recently who may not know about the dumpsters there.

“Watching these groups rally to make Lake Mead trash-free has been truly uplifting,” Vanover said. “We are proud to work with them.”

The groups meets from approximately 6-8 a.m. every Thursday. To find out how to participate, contact Scheur at info@downhillmike.com and put Beach Cleanup in the subject line.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Aloha From Boulder City

This past Friday, Boulder City Company Store teamed with the Las Vegas-based Manea Events to bring an authentic luau to town. The event featured music, food and entertainment from the islands. The highlight was the fire-dance performance to end the evening.

Holidays or holidazed: The season has begun

Let’s go from Halloween and pumpkin-spiced everything to a four-week stint of non-stop holidaymaking with a late Thanksgiving this year on Nov. 27, Hanukkah from the evening of Dec. 14-22 and Christmas on Dec. 25, and then we’ll ring in 2026! Whoa! Let’s catch a breath!

Community support key at Mitchell

As I am preparing to write this week’s column, I am reviewing our school calendar and thinking about our community support. I am so grateful for our traditions and community.

Popular block party moving location

It’s no secret that Boulder City residents enjoy their community events, especially in fall. One more to mark on the calendar is the annual street dance/block party that in recent years has been hosted by The Dillinger owner Grant Turner. It’s set for Saturday, Oct. 25 beginning at 2 p.m. and ending around 11:30 p.m.

King Elementary launches into learning at STARBASE

Fifth-graders from Martha P. King Elementary School recently took part in an unforgettable learning experience at STARBASE Henderson, a hands-on STEM program hosted at a Department of Defense lab.

BCR offers first-ever holiday magazine

With fall comes cooler temperatures and a crispness in the air as the holidays quickly approach.

Rating reflects teachers’ commitment and determination of students

There’s no better way to begin this school year than by celebrating a truly incredible accomplishment of Garrett Junior High School officially earning a 5-Star school rating. This distinction represents the highest level of achievement under Nevada’s School Performance Framework and recognizes not only strong academic performance, but also growth, teamwork, and a positive school culture.

Everything from A to Z available at Country Store

Whether you call it a garage sale, yard sale or tag sale, Grace Community Church’s Country Store is one of the largest of its kind in the area.

Homecoming: Small town tradition

There’s something special about Homecoming in Boulder City.

Student achievement main focus at Mitchell

Mitchell Elementary has enjoyed a great beginning to our school year as our staff continues to serve our students and families as their children learn and grow their leadership skills.