Earth to Royal Oak: Residents Tidy Up Parks in Time for Earth Day

Sunday is Earth Day, when the citizens of Planet Earth mobilize for an eco-celebration, but here in Royal Oak residents with with rakes and trash bags started early.

Saturday morning, groups taking part in Adopt a Park for a Day took time to give Mother Nature a little tender loving care by sprucing up more than 50 city parks.

At Wendland Park, on the city's south side, about 25 members of the raked leaves and picked up debris for almost two hours.

"This is an example of how the community gets together to make Royal Oak the great city," Carol Hennessey said.

After the group raked all the leaves to the curb they were treated to a barbeque at the park courtesy of the American Legion.

Labor of love

The cleanup was a labor of love for one resident.

"This park is the city's oldest park," John Wendland said. "It used to be called Sunset Park, but it was renamed for my uncle."

Frank Wendland was just 20 years old when he was killed Oct. 4, 1918, in World War I just weeks before it ended.

In 1919, the Frank Wendland American Legion Post 253 was founded in Royal Oak by veterans returning home from the war.

Wendland, who friends call the best historian in town, will be the Grand Marshall of this year's .

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