Story Hill residents turned out Saturday to reclaim Mitchell Blvd. Park from garlic mustard in a battle that was over in short order, with the weed ripped easily from saturated ground.

Then, frustrated by the eight years of government neglect that allowed garlic mustard and buckthorn to take over Bluff Park, weed-out participants turned their attention to the west end of the hill, cleaning it up quite a bit before the weed-out ended at noon.

More than 30 bags of garlic mustard were collected, and dead branches, brush and invasive, hazardous buckthorn were removed from the two sites.

Bluff Park, which is the hill between the neighborhood and the freeway, has been in limbo for the last eight years while Miller Park and county officials have for some reason not been able to complete the deal that would transfer Bluff Park from Miller Park to county ownership. The County Board voted in 2001 to accept the property. The county has been maintaining the hill in the last few years, but the invasives already are in control of it.

The original intent Saturday was to remove garlic mustard from the hill, which is overgrown with the stuff in some areas. It soon became apparent, however, that the weed was inaccessible because of dead vegetation and hazardous buckthorn thorns.

And so, in one of those great community moments…

The weed-out was sponsored by Sustainable Story Hill, the City of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee County Parks Department, the Park People of Milwaukee County, the Bluemound Road Business Advancement Association and the Story Hill Neighborhood Association.

Participants each received a $10 gift certificate to a local Bluemound Rd. establishment. The certificates were donated by Sustainable Story Hill and  Derry’s, Kelly’s Bleachers, Long Wong’s, McGinn’s and Steve’s on Bluemoud. Thanks to those businesses for their generosity. Thanks to everyone who came out to make Story Hill a little bit better place to live.