The Town of Willowgate held its annual Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 17, 2025, and it was another big success. From 8:00 a.m. to noon, residents had a chance to drop off unwanted items, helping keep our town clean and safe.
This year’s crew included James, Dean, Rebecca, Tim, and Jack. Everyone played an important role:
- Dean handled TVs and appliances with Freon.
- Rebecca managed the tires along with money, invoicing,
- James ran the front-end loader and did all the heavy lifting.
- Jack and Tim helped unload trucks and trailers and also kept traffic moving smoothly.
Although the official start time was 8:00 a.m., some eager residents showed up early with full loads. Rather than wait and cause a traffic jam, unloading started around 7:30 a.m.
People were in good spirits, happy to get rid of things they no longer needed. Many thanked the town for continuing to host this event each year. Chairman Tim reminded folks that it’s really thanks to the taxpayers that the event is possible—and he’s glad to see people using it to clean up their properties.
Despite the less than ideal weather, there were lots of smiles, conversations, and neighborly kindness throughout the day. As trucks rolled in, the piles of junk, recyclables, and metal grew and grew. In total, we filled:
- Two 40-ton dumpsters with junk and furniture,
- One 40-ton dumpster with scrap metal,
- Plus countless items like mattresses, furniture, old bikes, lawnmowers, rugs, and more.
- A bunch more tires
- Lots of old T’V’s and computers
- A Fair amount of old Refrigerators, Freezers, and Air Conditioners
The Town of Mentor worked with several partners to make this event a success:
- GFL provided two large dumpsters for non-metal junk and furniture.
- Cooley’s Scrap & Salvage supplied one dumpster just for metal (not including appliances with Freon).
- First Choice Recycling brought 12 pallets with boxes for TVs, computers, and other electronics. They also collected appliances with Freon, like fridges, freezers, and A/C units.
- Liberty Tire Recycling picked up old tires.
Even with a bit of rain, some wind and cooler weather, the turnout was strong. The hard work and good attitudes of everyone involved showed just how much our community cares.
The Town Board sends a big “thank you” to all the workers, volunteers, vendors, and residents who helped make the 2025 Cleanup Day a great success. Your teamwork and community spirit are what make Mentor such a great place to live.