Charles Cleanup Set for May 22; Boston-Area Groups Expect 10,000

For the second year in a row, hundreds of civic organizations in conjunction with the Metropolitan District Commission are planning to clean up 34 miles of the banks of the Charles River.

Governor Francis Sargent announced on Tuesday that "Operation Charles II" will be launched on Saturday, May 22. An estimated 7000 people participated in the first "Operation Charles" last year, and citizen coordinator James Kennedy of Newton expects over 10,000 this year.

"We're asking people to come out for one or two hours and do their own thing. Hopefully it will give families a chance to get away from TV for a while and get to meet each other," Kennedy said.

All of the towns bordering the Charles as far as Dedham, 34 miles from Boston harbor, are supplying trucks, and civic-minded businessmen have donated 50,000 plastic bags. Red Cross disaster units and local police teams will be patrolling the river banks with walkie-talkies and the Waltham Junior College canoeing club will be on hand for rescue missions.

WMTM of Newton will be broadcasting live from waterside with ecology music.

Charles Cleland, assistant professor of Biology, is the Cambridge chairman for the clean-up.