Pond cleanup removes plants from Penn Township fishing spot — for a cause

The waters of the Penn Township Municipal Park pond look clearer than ever after a coalition of volunteers and public works crews came together this week to remove plants from its depths.

Using a pitchfork and some of his son-in-law Jimmy Rudick’s homemade tools of wood, pool noodles and rake parts, Bob Sturn cleared algae and debris from the park pond Friday morning ahead of a fishing derby set for Sunday that is held in memory of his grandson, Carson Rudick.

“(Carson) loved to fish — he loved to fish here,” Sturn, 71, of Penn Township, said.

Carson died from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare tumor, in 2009 at the age of 5.

Sturn said the fishing derby is a way to give back to the community for all of the financial support they provide Carson’s Hope, a charitable organization created by Carson’s parents, Jim and Carlie Rudick.

Carson’s Hope supports pediatric cancer research and assists families affected by the disease. Sturn said some of the money the organization raises helps to pay for parking at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for same-day cancer patients. He said when Carson was going through treatments, a donor paid for their parking.

“That gets really expensive if you’re going there every day,” Sturn said.

A memorial bench along the side of the pond bears Carson’s name and a Superman logo.

Over the course of the week, Carson’s Hope volunteers and public works crew members raked plant matter from the pond and filled multiple trucks with debris.

“The seaweed has kind of overtaken the pond in the last year, so we are trying to clean it up as best we can, so that the kids have a place to fish,” said Tom Lamacz, township public works foreman. “It just grows naturally.”

The plants may have grown further and thicker than usual due to the mild winter, which didn’t kill the growth from one year to the next, Lamacz said.

Workers cut the plants and pulled them from the pond. After the plants float to the top, they are easier to remove from the water.

“(The cleanup) made a big difference,” said Jim Tummolo of the public works department. “It’s hard to tell, but it did.”

The pond will be stocked with trout during the derby, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. After the derby, the public works department will be able to treat the pond again to maintain it for the rest of the summer.