A local man is highlighting the efforts of an Abbotsford couple who are helping to make Princeton a clean place to live.
On April 1, resident Luigi Gino Del-Ciotto posted on the Princeton BC & Area Issues Facebook page, one of the town's largest public pages with over 16,200 members, about a couple he had met earlier in the day. He had seen them picking up garbage along Tulameen Avenue with a trash picker tool and a large dog food bag for the trash.
Del-Ciotto figured they were just local homeowners out walking their dog, but when he saw them again later at A&W, he became intrigued and decided to ask them what they were up to.
The couple, Kathy and Abe, obliged to Del-Ciotto's curiosity, and Kathy shared a little about their story.
Kathy and Abe are from Abbotsford, but Abe's father lived in Princeton before he passed away in 2023. They would visit often and eventually fell in love with the town. They love Princeton so much that they took it upon themselves to start cleaning the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and other main arterial routes around town.
"These trails are the first impression people have of the community, so I decided I would clean it up," she said.
Del-Ciotto was inspired by Kathy and Abe's cleaning efforts and community pride and found it amazing that someone from out of town would take the time to help clean, let alone tidy up such a large area. He said they were a "wonderful couple" and a "class act to follow," and is encouraging the community to come together and follow their lead.
"I think people should get out there and help these people clean up our town if you can find the time," he said. "We should all work together to clean up our community because there does seem to be a lot of litter around."
Del-Ciotto added that Kathy and Abe seem to have more pride in Princeton than some of the people who actually live in town.
"We need more people like Kathy and Abe."
