Albany Democrat-Herald

Amid chest-high brambles, volunteers discovered mattresses, box springs, office furniture, lawn chairs, scrap wood, a chicken coop, a tricycle, a computer and more on Friday while clearing decades of debris from the back and side yards of a home on Marilyn Street in northeast Albany.

Mayor Dan Bedore asked workers to join in a major cleanup effort after learning that the neighbors had complained about the piles of refuse and the homeowners could not pay for trash removal.

"This is an example where we can bring different constituencies together in the city and help each other," he said. "I have to confess, there was a lot more work and junk here than I anticipated."

Property owner George Geomans, 77, said he had lived at 330 Marilyn St. N.E. since 1969.

He said the clutter, tangling blackberry vines and overgrown trees came about for several reasons: He injured his back and leg so could no longer mow or take care of his yard; he likes to bring items home from garage sales and when there is no place for them so he tosses them outside; and he could not afford to buy a riding lawnmower to care for his property.

"I'm glad they are here," he said of the workers swarming over his half-acre property.

Those helping the mayor remove the clutter and vines and limb up trees were Community Service Officer Sherri Jacobson of the Albany Police Department, city spokeswoman Marilyn Smith, a Linn County work crew and clients from Oxford House.

Oxford Houses in Albany are where people live temporarily as they recover from drug and alcohol addictions.

Smith said metal found on the site would be sold to a metal dealer, with proceeds going into the city's general fund. The city has no plans to collect money from Geomans or put a lien on his property to pay for the cleanup or to cover the cost of bringing in Dumpsters. The cost will be paid for from Code Enforcement funds.

By the end of the workday Friday, Smith said workers had collected enough metal to fill a flatbed trailer. There was junk enough to fill a 40-yard and a 30-yard Dumpster. Another 40-yard Dumpster will be brought back to the property on Tuesday for the remaining vegetation.

The city became aware of the piles of junk after Jacobson responded to a cat complaint in the neighborhood and glanced at Geomans' backyard. The cleanup was necessary, she said, because rodents were living there, and the property was a fire hazard.