Mommy's Time Out Magazine April 2019 | Page 20

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

20

MOMMY'S TIME OUT

by Jayme Heinemann

Every morning I drive my kids to school. Same roads, same time, Monday through Friday, like “Groundhog’s Day”. For months now I have noticed a couple walking along Greenbrook Boulevard almost every morning – sun visors on, trash bag and Nifty Nabber in hand, cleaning up trash on the side of the road. Today I finally pulled over meet our wonderful neighbors, Frank and Kathy Black.

Frank and Kathy are originally from Ohio. They moved to Lakewood Ranch 4 years ago and are full time residents. They are active members of our community and enjoy spending time with friends in the “Empty Nesters Club”. Almost every morning they walk 4 to 5 miles using sidewalks and trails in Greenbrook. In addition to getting exercise, they clean up litter tossed along the road. When I asked if I could interview them for our magazine, Frank said, “Oh, we don’t do this for recognition”. Well I think they deserve some recognition anyway!

The Blacks hope to inspire others to not litter or to help clean up around their own neighborhood. Obviously this keeps our community looking nice, but Kathy pointed out another benefit. She said it is important to keep our storm drains free of debris so that the streets do not flood during a heavy rain. We have all seen that happen here around the ranch!

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