Kids collect a ton of trash

A large group of children and a handful of adults managed to collect more than a ton of trash in a three-hour clean up campaign Saturday in Marianna. It was the first of what organizers hope will be a series of such efforts.

Youngsters from the Sunrise Worship Center Youth Department, several from St. Luke’s Baptist Church, and the son of a public works official made up the main volunteer work crew. District 4 Marianna City Commissioner Rico Williams, Marianna City Manager Jim Dean and other adults helped out as well. Public Works Director Joe Richey helped plan the event and his son worked on the crew.

The team of young people split into four groups, each supervised by several adults. They started on South Street and finished at the intersection of Milton Avenue and Lafayette Street, covering the most littered spots on Eva Mae and Old Cottondale roads, and Harrison, Milton, Oak Booker, Cedar, Clay, Borden and St. Andrews streets.

Soiled diapers, fast food wrappers, old tires, whiskey bottles and beer cans were among the things the crews found discarded along the way.

The variety of trash found was an eye-opener for the 13 children who participated, said Chalmers Wilson III, one of the organizers. That new awareness was proof to him that at least one additional goal of the clean up project is being reached.

“The objective of this and future projects is to make road litter pick up as easy, fun and healthy as possible, perform a community service … and start an awareness campaign that litter can harm the environment in a number of different ways,” Wilson said in a press release about the event.

He felt the clean up was an opportunity to teach receptive children about some of the harmful effects of litter, as it can be “a breeding ground for disease-causing insects and pests, unsightliness that (negatively) changes the appearance of walkways and neighborhoods, open containers … (that) can hold rainwater, providing breeding locations for mosquitoes, which have been known to spread diseases and painful bites.”

And litter “can attract more debris, flowing into streams, storm water drainage systems, local rivers and eventually the Gulf of Mexico,” he added.

Before the clean up began, the Marianna Public Works Department treated the children to a continental breakfast. After it ended around lunch time, Zaxby’s restaurant donated lunch to the crew.

Wilson said he appreciated the participation, and anticipated that more businesses will be glad to do so in future efforts.

“It was hot out there and the kids were tired,” Wilson said. “The lunch really provided an uplift.”

This clean-up was organized pretty quickly. Next time, he said more public notice will be given so that businesses will have time to consider making donations. More importantly, he said it will give a heads-up to residents who wish to help the next time around.

“We encountered a couple of people who told us to let them know ahead of time, because they’d like to help. That was very encouraging,” he said. “That’s part of what it’s all about. We want make this a city-wide thing, not just in the neighborhood where we were on Saturday.

“But you have to start somewhere. I think there are enough people who care about this issue that we can have eventually volunteers working in every sector.”

Wilson said he sees the clean-up growing into a larger beautification project.

For instance, he’s working with businesses, organizations and the city government about a plan to place large trash receptacles and benches in strategic locations with heavy pedestrian traffic, so that residents will have a place to drop their trash and take a rest along their route.

Wilson said the next clean up would likely concentrate in and around the same areas covered Saturday, to include South, Orange, Borden, Clay St. Andrews, Lafayette, and Harrison streets, and Old Cottondale Road.

“The ultimate goal (is to) keep our environment clean and green,” he said in the release. “An interim goal is to sponsor a monthly litter pick-up project and have an individual and group award provided by the city and potential sponsors.”

Those who want to be a clean-up volunteer in the areas listed above, or in any part of Marianna, can call Samuel Everett at 482-5887 or Wilson at 482-1027.