03/13/2005

Boston Globe Magazine

Best of the New:  Ideas

Charles River Cleanup Boat

Seeing condoms and coffee cups float by his sailboat day after day drove Tom McNichol over the edge. Fortunately for us, he took a large net with him. The Charles River has been so choked with litter in recent years that McNichol fixed up a 17-foot aluminum boat, handed 25 volunteers some nets, and did something about it. The 66-year-old retired sales manager went trolling for trash with a crew three times a week for five months, filling 200 garbage bags. They recovered a Porta Potti, an oversized chair, even a human body. McNichol has more ambitious trash-removal plans for his nonprofit operation this year. We owe you one, Tom.