More than 100 volunteers will clean roadsides
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on April 27, 2005 1:50 PM
Have you ever been driving your truck down the road and, whoosh, there goes an empty box or a lunch bag out of the bed?
If so, you are one of the reasons more than 100 volunteers will give up their morning this Saturday to clean local roadsides.
"Uncovered loads are one of our biggest problems," said Simonne Cato of Keep Wayne County Beautiful.
Some reports have found that as much as 54 percent of roadside trash is blown from the back of trucks that are either uncovered or improperly covered, Ms. Cato said Tuesday.
Volunteers working on Spring Litter Sweep will find items like large cardboard boxes, five-gallon paint buckets and sheetrock, discards that are too bulky for motorists to have tossed.
Wayne County hired a deputy last year whose duties include patrolling for litterbugs, illegal dumpers and trucks with unsecured loads of trash. He can issue $100 citations if he catches anyone in the act.
But ultimately, people need to take responsibility for their own trash, Mrs. Cato said. "Litter has an economic and social consequence that affects everyone in the community."
Those who want to help clean up can come to the Litter Sweep from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Volunteers will meet at the Wayne County Courthouse, Ormond Street doors, where they will get supplies such as safety vests, bags, gloves and pickup sticks. Transportation will be provided to cleanup locations.
All volunteers will be invited to return to the courthouse for box lunches and a brief closing ceremony starting around 11:15 am. Door prizes will be given and volunteers can register for a chance at a national prize, a new 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid.
Spring Litter Sweep is a joint effort by Keep Wayne County Beautiful, the N.C. Department of Transportation, Wayne County and the city of Goldsboro.