A two-day cleanup extravaganza took place in Excelsior Springs this weekend, with residents and middle school students cleaning up litter for the Seventh Annual Earth Day Clean Up. “I definitely believe the community benefits from the cleanup. Besides the obvious of keeping the streams clean of trash and debris, it also gives some community pride for the residents,” said Nate Williams, parks, recreation and community center director. More than 600 volunteers participated within two days, gathering 55 large trash bags and 20 mesh river bags full of litter and trash, an additional 10 truckloads of bulky items and three tires. Middle school students focused on cleaning up the middle and high school campuses, and athletic complexes, as well as Century Park and Cemetery and the Excelsior Springs Community Center. Volunteers split into groups to focus on downtown Excelsior Springs around waterways, walking trails and roadways. The trash that is collected comes from dry areas of the…