Fiesta volunteers work to keep areas clean, but face frustration from some neighbors
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The annual Fiesta mexicana draws hundreds of people to topeka’s oakland neighborhood each summer.
Some people who live near the fiesta grounds aren’t happy about the clean up that comes with it.
People have voiced their frustrations about trash being left in their yards after each night of the fiesta.
The head of the grounds crew Felipe Rangel said they do everything they can to make sure the area is cleaned up for the next day, but it’s almost impossible to catch everything.
“I sympathize with the people,” said Rangel. “There’s a lot of people in the area. We pick up every morning. We pick up the entire fiesta area every morning. It takes us about an hour to go around probably a six-block square area.”
Volunteers clean up throughout the day, starting at around 7:30 a.m. and go until about 1:00 a.m.
Some of the people who live near the fiesta grounds said while they know the crew does the best they can to pick up all of the trash, it gets frustrating having to clean up the trash in their yards day after day during the event.
“There’s usually a little bit [of trash],” said Antony Standifer, whose parents live near the fiesta grounds. “There’s a lot of traffic that goes across the yard, so it seems like every morning we’re usually helping them pick up a little bit of trash.”
One thing neighbors said they would like to see is more trash cans located along the road leading to the carnival area, where a lot of trash tends to pile up.