“The seniors are working on make-up days,” explained Sheila Kelty, Kiwanis member.
The high school seniors will graduate June 1 —  a few days before the school year ends for the rest of the student body, due to make-up days caused by inclement weather. In trade for “early” graduation, the seniors are required to log six hours of community service or school activities on Saturdays or Sundays this spring. This past Saturday, students had a choice of helping clean up Jane’s Park, attending a legislative panel in Plymouth or taking part in the Bigger-Stronger-Faster sports clinic. Participation in the school play or weekend sporting events also counts. Additional “work days” are planned for Saturday, April 26 and Saturday, May 10.
    Laura McIntyre gladly picked the Jane’s Park clean-up as a way to make up three of those hours.
    “We’re helping out our community,” she said. “Making for a cleaner, safer environment.”
    Everyone involved agreed it felt great to help clean up the park for one main reason — the children who play there.
    “One of the main purposes of Kiwanis is to make a difference for kids,” Kelty explained. “So many kids use this park. And even though we’re not working directly with them today, it will be a great benefit to kids as the park season starts. Soccer starts soon and kids will be down here every day. It will be nice to know it’s clean for them.”
    The 15 volunteers worked from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They picked up trash, removed truckloads of leaves, swept brick paths and washed benches, swings and slides. They also cleaned up the area of the garden adopted by the Kiwanis Club.
    “We’re getting rid of leaves, trimming bushes to make it nice for the kids to play down here,” said Kiwanis member Gene Oberleas.
    A second clean-up and maintenance day will take place June 15, as it does every year, on the birthday of Jane Sieg Stillson, for whom the park was named.