By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– A group of Downtown-Chinatown businesses have committed to work together to provide sidewalk and street trash clean up after First Friday. First Friday is a monthly event that draws hundreds of visitors to the area for a night of art, performance and entertainment. At the night’s end, it is not unusual for the area to be littered with paper, cigarette butts and other trash. The idea for the clean up was suggested at a recent meeting of owners and representative from area galleries, restaurants, nightclubs and shops, discussing how to improve First Fridays for area residents, businesses and customers. This first clean up will take place early in the morning, 2:30 a.m., on March 2, following the closure of the area businesses at the end of First Friday. Volunteer participants are coming from:
bambuTwo Cafe + Martini Lounge Louis Pohl Gallery
Bar 35 Manifest
Brasserie Du Vin Murphy’s Bar & Grill
Downbeat Diner and Lounge Next Door
Florencia Arias O’Tooles Irish Pub
JJ Dolan’s
Volunteers will meet at Bar 35 to collect donated supplies, including trash bags, gloves, brooms and safety vests and will be assigned, in groups, to sweep and collect and bag trash makai to mauka between Merchant Street and Chaplain Lane and Ewa to Diamond Head between Bethel Street and Smith Street. The clean up effort is expected to take no more than one hour and will make the area presentable for regular Saturday business.
On a related note, the Arts District Merchant’s Association is organizing a graffiti paint-out, again with the volunteer support of areas businesses. The clean up will take place in April. Specific spaces that need cleaning and repainting, partnerships, volunteers and other support are being identified. More information on the graffiti paint-out to come.