As a "Neighbor Helping Neighbor" project, Ron Shaw of Bismarck is coordinating a clean-up day on Saturday for a brush-filled lot on the corner of Bowen Avenue and South First Street.

He's hoping that as many as 100 volunteers will show up to clean out underbrush, bag trash, and clear and haul branches and debris.

When siblings Lisa Fried and Rob Savageau opened Savvy Skate and Snow Shop across the street from the lot a couple of years ago, they were approached by the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce to become members.

In talking with chamber member Shaw, they mentioned their desire to create a positive environment for the skate shop's young customers and their concern about the site. The site had a reputation for attracting drug and alcohol users and the body of a homeless man was found there last year, Shaw said.

Police reports include problems with transients camping there, panhandling, disorderly behavior and accumulation of trash and litter, said Bismarck deputy chief Keith Witt.

The property owners in this case were elderly and did desire to clean the property, and had been contracting to have it mowed, said Bismarck's Environmental Health Division administrator Mel Fischer. The city requires lots to be mowed by June 1, then again July 15 and Sept. 1, he said. Ordinarily, if mowing is not done, the city will have it mowed and bill the owner, he said.

Fried said that Shaw decided to take on this big-scale project himself.

"Ron's a good Christian, and he just felt a need for this," she said. "He's gone and done a lot of legwork."

Shaw said he has gotten positive responses from equipment rental businesses in Bismarck and Mandan to donate equipment for the clean-up; Bobcat also has offered equipment and operators to help, he said.

Members of church groups and some skate shop customers have already signed up, Fried said.

Volunteers should wear gloves and safety boots or heavy-duty footwear and bring yard tools such as shovels, tree branch snippers, chain saws, heavy-duty garbage bags, trailers to haul away the materials and whatever else might be useful.

Volunteers will gather at 11 a.m. and work until the underbrush is cleared out, Shaw said.

To volunteer, sign up at Savvy Skate and Snow Shop at 321 S. First St., or call the store at 222-3703.