Good citizens working together improves our common walkway, sets important example
By Andrew Harris, photos courtesy of Breanna Wilson
The skywalk over Route 417/19 that allowing safe access to Island Park is an iconic part of Wellsville NY. It allows for pedestrians to walk/bike/run the Main Street district, Tullar Field, and Island Park areas by traveling over traffic. You may have a memory of standing on the skyway as traffic passes underneath, horns honking.
Local do-gooder Breanna Wilson, knows the value of this skyway and didn’t like how filthy, muddy, and unkept part of the sidewalk area had become. She tried to contact the state highway department without success and finally had to act:
“The condition of the sidewalk has really been bothering me for over 2 years. I use the walkway frequently while out running. Going through there at 5am with the weeds and spider webs hitting me, I just couldn’t take it anymore. Not to mention anytime I drive by I see others walking on it and I KNOW they had to feel the same way I did. When I pick my kids up from school, I see kids walking on it. It might sound crazy but it was literally keeping me up at night. I know a few people who suffer with Lymes disease and that’s all I could think about with the kids walking through there in the high grass and weeds. I called NYS highway department 4 times last summer and I was assured they would be out to take care of it each time. It was never touched. Not even with a weed eater. So I just couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to put a post on Facebook after I ran through there last Wednesday evening to see if anyone would be willing to help me and the response was wonderful!! I knew I would have help because this community is wonderful!”
The cleanup crew started with a frustrated Facebook post by Wilson and several friends and community members jumped at the opportunity. Steve Willson, Bethany Faulkner, Randy Geffers, Brennan Geffers, Erica Aftuck, Dan Aftuck, Peter Mangles, Dennis Shutt, and Ryan Clark showed up and got the job done.
The cleanup crew removed lots of muck and mud built up on the sidewalk. The overgrown weeds were whacked down and taken away along with trash and debris from the adjacent state highway. Wilson snapped these before and after shots:
The Wellsville Development Corporation, local leaders in keeping Wellsville beautiful took notice and had this to say about the team effort:
“SPOTTED 
Good samaritans out in the wild! A huge shoutout to Breanna Willson, Erica Aftuck, and the crew they drummed up to get this walkway back in shape! 
The walkway off of the footbridge over State Route 417 has been overgrown and difficult to navigate, especially with a stroller, but no longer is that a problem! Thank you so much for taking the initiative and volunteering your Saturday morning — we see you and appreciate you! “
Wilson is always on the lookout for other community cleanup projects and credits the work of Andover and Wellsville beautification committees for the inspiration. She credits the crew for responding to her idea to make Wellsville a little better place to live:
“I am so thankful to live in this community and to know these wonderful people. This did not directly benefit a single one of them, yet they are out of bed early on a Saturday morning, sweating their butts off helping!!! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!! 
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