April showers mean . . . it’s time to pick up after ourselves

It’s that time of year now when a lot of people think about cleaning out closets, buildings and spring cleaning after a long, hard winter.

But for the environment, especially in an area such as ours that depends heavily on tourism during the spring, summer and early fall months, keeping out outdoors and roadways as clean and free of trash as possible is also extremely important.

Beginning this weekend, Clinton Countians can once again show pride in our communities and county by helping out in the annual PRIDE Spring Clean-up that runs throughout the entire month of April.

Once again, Clinton County is a participant in the PRIDE cleanup and as always, volunteers are needed to help clean up roadways in their neighborhoods and local solid waste officials have materials and information residents can use if they would like to help.

Lyle Norris, Clinton County Solid Waste Coordinator, said that some churches, school groups and organizations have already volunteered, but more groups and individuals are always needed.

Tuesday Davis, who coordinates the PRIDE portion of the cleanup locally, said most groups and volunteers use their weekends to help clean up their communities and this year the PRIDE organization is attempting to get more volunteers statewide and in individual counties than ever before.

In 2010, some 321,000 people volunteered statewide to help cleanup Kentucky’s roadways. In Clinton County, around 67 groups and volunteers joined in the effort to clean up the city and county roadsides, not counting those who used dumpsters during the free dump days.

PRIDE has post cards for volunteers asking them to recruit five additional people for each volunteer to help in the effort.

“We need all the help we can get,” said Norris. “Some areas are twice as bad as last year, noting that most areas were in good shape last spring.” Generally, however, over the winter months trash collects on roadways and need to be cleaned up during the spring season.

Locally, trash bags and gloves are provided to volunteers and those who complete paperwork as participants in the PRIDE program will also receive a free t-shirt.

Both Davis and Norris noted that last year, a group that helped clean up an area toward Grider Hill Dock collected 199 bags of trash in about a half-days time between Cumberland Corner Mart and the dock.

Trash collected can sometimes include old tires, and although there are no specific locations where tires are to be disposed of in the state, those that are found will be picked up by the county road department along with the rest of the items collected and disposed of properly.

County jail inmates are also busy at work this time of year collecting trash on county roadways. (A separate article on the inmate trash pickup can be found on page 1.)

Davis noted that at least one free dump day has been scheduled for Friday, May 6 and may include a half-day on May 7, depending on when PRIDE funds are expended. More information on the free dump day(s) will be published at a later date.

Anyone wishing to volunteer to help clean up the Albany and Clinton County area or for more information on PRIDE may call Davis at 387-4633 or Norris at 387-4449 or 688-2288.