Transformation has come to Cruz Bay residents and their trash disposal. A decision by the Waste Management Authority several months ago removed dumpsters from the town area and directed the public to a convenience center in Pine Peace.
Activity increased around the three large dumpsters and a bank of recycling bins as cars swooped in and out from Route 104. But dripping trash bags and occasional rains kept the ground muddy. Disposing of used cans and plastics could be a slippery balancing act.
Relief arrived with a supply of rebar and concrete; a site improvement project was underway. Paved surfaces made muddy drop-offs a thing of the past.
The overall effort was dubbed the Pine Peace Binsite Beautification Project.
Then came a retaining wall where once stacks of tires held back an earthen slope. A large, bare wall proved irresistible to Waste Management Special Assistant Alice Krall.
Krall recruited a community painter’s posse to create a mural featuring local flora and scenery. Aariyah Athanase, Kurt Marsh Jr., and daughter Khaleila Krall all pitched in.
The overall project has taken four weeks so far, made possible by work from WMA employees, volunteers from island businesses and community members, said agency spokeswoman Lorna Minkoff.
The special assistant to WMA Director Roger Merritt said a number of tourists have stopped by to take photos and admire the work. Completing the mural, she said, is something she looks forward to. “It’s like therapy after a day at Waste Management,” she said.
