A friend advised her to read Earl Babbie’s Book: You Can Make a Difference.

“It tells how individuals started movements for change, or solved civic problems,” she explained.

In May of 1986, Bobbi called together Town Board Members, Highway Dept Officials, Scouts, News Reporters and Friends wanting to see a neater town. A reporter named them: C.L.E.A.N. (Committee for Litter Elimination and Neatness).

  Bobbi Mastrangelo as CLEAN Bear

White Bear became the mascot. Cartoons depicted a white bear sweeping and cleaning the town. During one Parade, Bobbi Mastrangelo donned the CLEAN Bear Costume, rode the Highway Truck and waved to all the crowd.

Girl Scouts, other Civic Groups and individuals adopted and beautified local areas, town parks, Their Post Office Grounds and the St. James RR Station.

Bobbi Mastrangelo chose the King Kullen Supermarket Area and parking lot, the local litter magnet, for her Adopt-A-Spot.

Children’s posters were hung at the Supermarket registers urging everyone to keep their town clean and beautiful.

When the King Kullen Manager spied her, he would run out waving a large broom and grin:

“OK Bobbi we are cleaning up!”

CLEAN initiated annual clean-ups and sponsored coloring contests for children. Its members painted the logo on colorful vinyl trash barrels. They were donated to the Smithtown Highway Department and put out for parades and public events. 

“For her relentless effort to keep things clean in the Town of Smithtown and for the work she inspired other to do, The St. James Times recognized Bobbi Mastrangelo as Woman of the Year in Civic Affairs” in their January 5, 1989 Edition.

Bobbi felt that the award should be shared with all the dedicated volunteers who adopted spots and worked on local litter clean-ups.

For over a decade The CLEAN Committee was very active. Bobbi has since relocated to Florida, but she is gratified to know of one Adopt-A-Spot that is still being maintained: Richie Kuri of RJK Gardens keeps the grass mowed and flowers planted at his Adopt-A Spot adjacent to King Kullen. (Note the blooming Irises.)

Here is a poem about the CLEAN Group and Their Activities:

 http://bobbimastrangelo.com/MyNews/?p=5020

Part One: Cigarette Butt Litter. Cigarette butts are being dumped from a car ash tray.

Cigarette butts are actually cellulose acetate, which is man made and doesn’t biodegrade. Light weight butts easily get caught up in runoff from storms. Tons of butts land in open spaces posing a health problem for birds and other wildlife for up to 12 years. The cumulative effect of these toxic chemicals can pollute water.

Part Two: Simulated Medical Waste.

Mastrangelo used port wine and catsup to simulate the dried blood, but the waste looked so convincing that a mother pulled her son away from the assemblage, scolding:. “Don’t touch that! You will get a disease!”