Metro Parks and the "Friends of McKinley Park" organization have joined together in hopes of cleaning up and revitalizing Tacoma's McKinley Park, nearly 27 acres of green that runs along Interstate 5 across from the Tacoma Dome. On Saturday, they'll host one of many upcoming "McKinley Park Cleanup Work Parties" - where people will gather between 9 a.m. and noon at the new playground restrooms off of McKinley Avenue (500 E McKinley Ave., Tacoma) before breaking into groups and helping to clear the park of invasive and non-native plants like English Ivy and blackberry bushes. Metro Parks will provide the needed tools and equipment.

Prediction: Strange items likely to be found in overgrown blackberry bushes at McKinley Park include: An old Tacoma Tigers hat, several Portrait of Poverty records, an unused condom, a six-pack of Surge soda, Joey Cora, Joey G, Dale Chihuly's eyeball, a passed out Blue Hair Dave, six Iron Maiden T-shirts, the Offbeat and a Northwest Detention Center for gnomes.

[McKinley Park, Saturday, Jan. 16, 9 a.m., 500 E. McKinley Ave., Tacoma]