Carpentersville woman makes a neat neighborhood her duty

No one likes a messy house when family comes to visit.

Carpentersville resident Bonnie Lipprandt is no exception.

But how many people clean up their home and the surrounding neighborhood beforehand?

Furthermore, how many people pick up trash beyond their own property while riding an electric scooter and breathing with the assistance of a portable oxygen tank?

More Coverage Video And away she goes

"I had people coming from out-of-state and it was so embarrassing to see the state of the street I live on," said Lipprandt, who has lived in Carpentersville for 40 years. "It was disgusting. There were dirty diapers, pop bottles, food cans. There was just trash all over."

Using a long-handled, claw-like device to pick up trash and fashioning the basket to hold debris, Lipprandt has -- in the past several years -- collected hundreds of bags of trash from around the community.

"It is something that I enjoy doing because it is something that needs to be done," said Lipprandt, who lives on Austin Avenue on the village's east side. "We need all of Carpentersville cleaned up."

Lipprandt said she always has been conscious of picking up stray trash on the sidewalk or in the park, but said she became even more aware once she started using her scooter.

"I saw it up close. You can see more," Lipprandt said.

Occasionally, residents will help Lipprandt pick up trash around their property once they realize what she is doing. Lipprandt said children in particular are eager to help.

Last summer alone, she filled 55 large black trash bags with garbage from Austin Park and the nearby creek, which Lipprandt called one of her favorite spots.

"I got carried away because it looked so nice," Lipprandt said. "I cleaned up the garbage so I could look at nature and not human trash."

Lipprandt said she has collected "everything and anything," from plastic water bottles to car parts, children's toys to bicycles.

One particular find caused Lipprandt to chuckle to herself. Lipprandt once picked up three sets of girls clothing -- shoes, socks, pants and tops.

"It made me wonder, 'How did they get out of the woods?'" Lipprandt said with a laugh.

Another time, Lipprandt's own escape from the woods was mired when a police officer mistakenly removed Lipprandt's scooter from the side of the road.

"I had left the keys in the ignition because I was only going to be in the woods for a short time," Lipprandt said. "I hauled these heavy bags up over the hill. I was ready to collapse and saw no scooter."

She left the trash bags at the site and "basically crawled home" on her hands and knees.

"A so-called good Samaritan saw the scooter and called the police," said Lipprandt, who now pins the keys to her shirt and leaves a note on the scooter explaining her whereabouts.

Ultimately, Lipprandt would like to see a community-wide clean up day, but she also encourages residents to do their part to keep the community tidy.

"We wouldn't need that if people made sure their yards were clean," she said. "That would be a great help."