Thomas Kesler Receives
West Lafayette Beautification Award
The January 2009 West Lafayette Beautification Award has been presented to New Chauncey resident Thomas Kesler.
Thomas Kesler is presented the West Lafayette Beautification award for January 2009 by Counselor Peter bunder. Kesler started cleaning up the New Chauncey Neighborhood back in 2000.
Since 2000, Mr. Kesler voluntarily pick up garbage in the block around his home. He later expanded his self-assigned task to picking up garbage in the nearby alley. In 2006 he further expanded his task and “picked up garbage in every alley in New Chauncey Neighborhood.” The garbage he has collected includes foodstuffs, more than 30 tires, six car batteries and immeasurable recyclables. Then in 2006 he met “a man with a truck.” The availability of the truck allowed for the pick up of concrete rubble-Really heavy concrete rubble. One clean up of three lots resulted in six truck loads of rubble and also an acute attack of poison ivy for Kesler. Kesler and his anonymous truck owner deliver the rubble to American Paving & Asphalt in Lafayette, which for a fee (paid by Mr. Kesler), accepts brick-free, concrete rubble.
Thomas always requests written permission to collect the rubble if it is on private property (an excellent practice if you want to follow Kesler's community service example in your neighborhood). After more than 120 requests for permission Mr. Kesler has only been rejected three times. He continues to pick up garbage, cigarette debris and concrete rubble in an effort to maintain cleaner neighborhoods and waterways.
After receiving the Beautification Award from District 2 Councilor Peter Bunder, Thomas briefly addressed the full City Council and thanked them for the recognition. Kesler said that by the City recognizing him, he hoped community awareness for keeping the neighborhoods of West Lafayette clean would be increased and encouraged the City to highlight community service.
