Published: April 07, 2008 03:39 pm      

Spring cleaning — Time to tidy up local neighborhoods

It’s time to cleanup the unsightly litter that is blighting our neighborhoods and communities. Spring cleaning campaigns are underway across the region this week, and will continue throughout the next few weeks across southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia.

This means it is time for folks to start picking up unwanted trash and debris from their yards, neighborhoods, communities and roadways. It’s not an easy job, but it is one that must be completed. It will take a combined effort of concerned citizens across the region working together to help to tidy up the region just in time for spring.

Thankfully, a number of coordinated campaigns are underway across southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia.

For example, towns and communities across Mercer County are participating this week in the 2008 West Virginia Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup campaign, and Adopt-a-Highway volunteers across Southwest Virginia will be out picking up litter on roadways across Virginia Saturday.

A number of communities and organizations are helping to tidy up their neighborhoods as part of the Make It Shine campaign, including the city of Bluefield, the town of Bramwell, the Nemours Ruritan Club, the Athens Lions Club, and many others.

Adopt-a-Highway volunteers also are active across the region with more than 40 groups in Tazewell County and another 30 in Bland County. The volunteers help remove trash and litter from adopted roadways in Virginia four times a year.

Also upcoming is the planned “Clean Sweep Project” by the city of Bluefield, and a new “litter getters” campaign that seeks to clean-up neighborhoods across McDowell County.

Spring has finally sprung. Warmer weather is in the air. Now is the perfect time to cleanup our yards, neighborhoods and roadways.

Volunteer your time. Help with local cleanup campaigns in your community. Report those who litter or toss garbage in your community to proper authorities. Let them know their actions are unacceptable and illegal.

By working together, we can protect our environment, and beautify our individual neighborhoods, communities, towns and cities. By volunteering our time and working together, we can make a difference.

It’s time to start spring cleaning across the region.