NAHS students clear debris downtown through summer work program

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New Albany High School student Stephane Rodriguez cleans up debris on Market St. Monday morning. Rodriguez and other New Albany High School students are employed temporarily in the City of New Albany Youth Employment in the Dog Days program. Staff photo by C.E. Branham

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July 26, 2010

By DANIEL SUDDEATH Daniel.Suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Mon Jul 26, 2010, 11:48 PM EDT

NEW ALBANY — The sweltering heat didn’t make the work any easier, but it didn’t matter to Tandra McFarland.

She’s just happy to have a job.

“Ten dollars an hour, you can’t beat that,” said the New Albany High School student as she took a break Monday from sweeping grass off a sidewalk along Market Street.

McFarland is one of several NAHS students participating in the Dog Days Youth Employment Program created by Mayor Doug England and his wife Shelle.

It’s backed with surplus funds from the New Albany Riverfront Amphitheater’s summer series — money that was raised through contributions coordinated by Shelle England.

Each weekday from 8 a.m. to noon until Aug. 10, the students will gather to pick up limbs, help clear debris and clean ditches. They aren’t allowed to use machinery, but Ronnie Lane of the New Albany Street Department wishes the students could pitch-in all the time.

“It’s been great — they’ve helped us out a lot,” said Lane, who has supervised the workers that have mainly concentrated on cleaning downtown.

With flooding a constant issue for New Albany, the students have been tasked with removing yard waste that’s blocked drainage ways.

“It’s good to have them, especially this time of the year with the [yard] clippings and the street department not having the capabilities they should,” Utilities Director Brad Kessans said.

David Swift of the street department said it’s the first time he can recall having students available to aid with summer cleaning. He said the students have been great to work with.

“I wish they’d have it more often,” he said.

Like McFarland, NAHS student Robert Moore said he was pleased to have a chance to make a few extra dollars before school starts back next month.

“It’s going really well,” he said.

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NAHS students clear debris downtown through summer work program

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