Scoop There It Is

About Scoop There It Is

Scoop There It Is keeps the small fenced yards of Burlington, Vermont — the New North End's grassy squares, the South End's tucked-in mill-block lots, and the tight backyards across the river in Winooski — clean enough to walk barefoot through. The work is scheduled dog waste pickup, one yard at a time, on the same day each week, with a photo sent along when the gate latches shut again. It is humble work with an outsized result: a lawn a kid can roll around on, a summer evening off Lake Champlain that belongs to the grill and the fireflies instead of the careful shuffle-step across the grass. April's thaw gives up a winter's worth all at once, and August hides it in the tall stuff — either way, someone comes and it is simply gone. Homeowners get their own backyard back, which turns out to be a fine thing to hand a person.