What began as a summer job has now taken young Brennan McVey to the steps of the Rockaway Township Municipal building and the mayor's (镇长的) office. Known by his neighbors and the township as the "Rubbish Bin Manager", McVey was given a special mention during the regular Rockaway Township Council meeting on October 25, for his work to help his neighbors and prevent unwanted run-ins with the local bear population. "Our children are our future, and when a child can respond to needs by making a decision that gives a community a chance to improve its quality of life, it represents a great moment for our township. McVey is a shining example of a positive person," Mayor Michael Dachisen read to the public.
The 10-year-old Green Pond boy had an idea in 2016 of helping to stop bears in his neighborhood from becoming endangered "troublemakers" by helping his neighbors take out the rubbish the morning of its pickup.
McVey, who is a fifth-grader at Katherine D. Malone Elementary School, noticed that some of his neighbors would leave the rubbish out the night before, an open invitation to bears. "I saw a lot of bears in the neighborhood and I thought I could help," he said. On collection day, McVey gets up early in the morning and heads to the houses of the neighbors who agreed to pay a small fee to have the young businessman bring out their rubbish to the curb (路缘).
"We had a lot of bear sightings in our community. This is one way to stop the bears from coming in by keeping the food source out of their way," the mayor added.
McVey has turned the Rubbish Bin Manager into a business, posting fliers (传单) around Green Pond, and his neighborhood has really taken to the idea.
