They normally are busy with such tasks as trying to keep lawyers up-to-date on changes in the law and working to match volunteering lawyers with people in need of legal services in the community.

But last week, members of the Onondaga County Bar Association staff rolled up their sleeves and got busy in a much more hands-on fashion: They hit the streets to pick up trash and debris around their downtown office as their contribution to Earth Day activities.

They call themselves the "Bar-ettes," and with the help of a law school intern and a couple of guest helpers, the bar association staffers spread out in a several-block area around the State Tower Building on Saturday morning to gather up the trash and recyclables cluttering the landscape.

Organizer Nora DiMeis said the small group first gathered for breakfast at the nearby Anmar Cafe, where the proprietor opened earlier than usual to accommodate them. The group then gathered up several bags of trash, bottles and cans as it cleaned up the area between its office and its parking lot.

Joining DiMeis in the cleanup were Christine Gray, Deb O'Shea, Liz Correa, Bethany Szewczyk, Jason White and a couple of friends.