At Crystal Beach Estates, 20 folks assembled early on the morning of Oct. 14, to conduct a “Big Sweep” of the river shoreline, other waterfront areas and roadsides in the community. They were pleased to find that there was much less litter than in previous years due to volunteers who regularly pick up litter throughout the year.

They bagged trash, mostly beverage containers and cigarette butts, and additional large debris, such as a beat-up crab pot and the remains of what appeared to be a tube to be pulled behind a boat. Afterward, they were treated to a hotdog lunch sponsored by Friends of Crystal Beach. The Fall Big Sweep has been an annual project of the Friends for more than a decade, except in 2016, when Hurricane Matthew interfered.