Cleaning up Zakopane 2006
The Zakopane council last week acknowledged the efforts of school children partaking in the "Cleaning up Zakopane 2006" program which takes place in autumn and spring of each year. Schools which gathered the most rubbish were rewarded with prizes, the eventual winner being 'Szkola Podstawowa Nr 9' from Harendzie, which accumalated 64 bags of junk. Trailing ever so slightly by only a few bags was "Szkola Nr 5" from Chramcowek.
Despite the fairly festive ceremonies used as a platform to acknowledge the efforts of these schools, there really wasn't anything to be too cheerful about. The sheer amount of rubbish collected along with the fact that the annual influx of tourists for the ski season is on the horizon, highlights that an impending pollution problem looms in Zakopane. The council will need to focus its energy on similar programs to those of Cleaning up Zakopane but maybe it can give the school kids a break next time.