In an effort to reduce an herbicide spot application along Glen Ridge’s historic cobblestone gutters sometime this past week, Borough Council and the Environmental Advisory Committee supervised an effort by residents to pull the plants by hand on Saturday, July 11.
The triumvirate who headed this operation were council members LoriJeane Moody, Anthony Turiano and committee member Amanda McCabe. About 20 people took part.
They met at Freeman Gardens for orientation, from 9:30 to 10 a.m. The work would be done from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Some people made it a family affair, bringing their children, with coffee and doughnuts were available. Street maps were distributed.
Turiano suggested if someone lived on a colored-in street, indicating cobblestone gutters on the map, then perhaps they could pull weeds there.
McCabe made the point that keeping the gutters clear was necessary for stormwater management and that special attention should be directed to streets further down the hills: Appleton, Linden, Maolis and Osborne.
“It’s important to know,” Moody said, “that the herbicide is very targeted. The application is spot treatment. We’re trying to mitigate that and make it more and more effective and sustainable.”
She said that some residential effort was made last year to pull weeds and head-off some of the application, but more effort was going into it this year. In addition, an herbicide stops a plant from growing and the later treatment would only go where there was plant growth.
The borough sent out an announcement about the herbicide:
“TruGreen is scheduled to spray Finale herbicide in the cobblestone gutters on July 15. Finale herbicide (glufosinate ammonium) is a nonselective herbicide that is toxic to bees.”
This was followed by the opportunity to opt-out of the application and then this:
“By pulling weeds, we’re reducing the amount of herbicide being applied and making sure the 27 blocks of historic cobblestone gutters in Glen Ridge remain clear for their important job of stormwater management.”
McCabe said studies showed that the herbicide being applied disorients bees.
“We’re trying to send a message that maintaining gutters is achievable and sustainable,” she said. “One way is to forgo herbicides and pesticides.”
“Start at the bottom of the street,” Turiano said. “The town has provided trash bags. We have two hours. We’re not going to rush you.”
People were instructed that the trash bags were for litter; paper bags were for vegetation and should be left on the curb. The DPW would collect them later in the day.
McCabe said the effort being undertaken was Turiano’s idea that it could be done.
“He’s the optimist,” she said, and would include cleaning up around storm drains.
“We don’t want debris and grass clippings there,” she said. “It’s another sexy message we have.”
Turiano created “teams” and asked them where they lived. One team was even one person.
“If you see a garden right near the cobblestones, be careful,” he warned.
McCabe reiterated that Maolis and Linden avenues were problem areas, but Hillcrest Road was low priority. Someone wanted to work on Hamilton Road, but Turiano said it was taken.
“There’s water here, if you want to fill your jugs,” he said.
And just like that, the little army was on its way, with only Turiano left at headquarters.
Photos by Daniel Jackovino
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