THATS Oroville Cleans Up

As much as people complain about the younger generation and “kids these days,” there is an abundance of intelligent, motivated, and promising teenagers out there. Vann Warnock is definitely at the top of the list. 16 years old and a junior at Oroville High School, Warnock had trouble fitting in volunteer community service hours with his school schedule. Since he’s only 16, many organizations told him he needed to be 18 due to liability issues. So, Vann and his grandfather, Mike Brown, decided to brainstorm.

The plan they came up with is called THATS Oroville: Trucker Hat Action Team Serving Oroville, a cleanup crew collecting trash in Downtown Oroville a few days a week. You can spot them wearing their light blue, semi-Spongebobinspired hats and carrying their white buckets and grabbers. Currently, Vann and his friend Lucas Carpenter, along with Grandpa Mike, comprise the crew, but they’re hoping to expand. One way is to involve the Oroville High School Environmental Club. “I’m hoping to get some of the members out here to help,” said Vann. “I just recently joined, but the advisor thought it was a good idea.”

Remember, when you’re dealing with

Vann Warnock, you’re not dealing with your average teen. He carries a 4.0 GPA and has big plans for college, specifically the Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo. “I enjoy learning about the world,” he said. “The Maritime Academy would provide me with a big opportunity to further my goals.”

Something else that sets Vann apart is his love of being a native of Oroville. “Every brick has been laid for a very long time—each one has integrity. I want to keep Downtown Oroville like it’s been historically. Small town values are also very important.” And this kid is 16!

One positive aspect of their downtown endeavor is the thanks they get. From businesspeople to shoppers, to, yes, even the homeless, they get thanked frequently. “People see us picking up everything on the ground, but the biggest pieces of litter are candy wrappers and cigarette butts,” said Vann. The trash is put into buckets, transferred to local garbage cans, or taken to a bigger container at home.

Along the way, besides Grandfather Mike and Grandma Rosetta, Vann has received excellent support from his dad, James Warnock, an auto shop teacher, and mom, Nicole Warnock, who works at Oroville Hospital. “His parents have instilled a wonderful work ethic in Vann and his sister, Oceanna, who attends Davis,” said Mike. “They’ve both been top students in school,” he added.

Right now, Vann is in the top ten in his junior class at Oroville High, but he wants to be in the top five. “The covid years we lost made me rethink what I wanted to do. It gave me time to research and think about my future. Now that we’re back in school, I want to make the most of being in the classroom.”

Bring Us Home

Butte County has an inordinately high number of animals in need of adoption due to a number of factors including wildfires, floods, and irresponsible breeding. Please consider adoption as an option for increasing the love in your own household. These soon-to-be pets can be adopted by contacting the Northwest SPCA at (530) 533-7636. You can also visit their website at www.northwestspca.org