Ready to do something about that old refrigerator in the backyard? How about the mattress the neighbors left in the alley when they moved?
Starting this weekend and continuing for three following weekends, Emporians will have the chance to get rid of that junk during Emporia Clean Sweep, a citywide cleanup effort put together by Emporia Building Futures, the Human Relations Commission, city staff members, area service organizations and a multitude of volunteers.
The effort to organize the cleanup has been in the works for quite some time, according to Fred Neuer, committee chairperson for Emporia Building Futures, and he is proud of the way people have come together to make it possible.
“The thing I like about this is it all started from a volunteer base,” Neuer said, “and it just kind of bubbled, percolated to the surface. If we want to improve our image we’ve got to clean up.”
Improving Emporia’s image is a key concept of the Building Futures campaign, and to that end the city commission decided to make an in-kind donation of city staff and services to help with the effort. Other noteworthy volunteers include Phil Dillon of the Lions Club, Antonia and Stan Felix, Patty Gilligan of the Human Relations Commission, and Clint Bowyer, who donated $15,000 from his 79 Fund to the Emporia Community Foundation to help with the cleanup.
“We’ve got so many volunteers,” Neuer said, that it’s difficult to name them all. “We’ve got Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, service clubs, university students, athletes, fraternities and sororities, everybody’s getting involved.”
For the cleanup, the city has been divided into eight zones, two of which will be covered during each weekend of the cleanup. Dumpsters will be placed at a certain location in each zone to allow people to drop off all manner of items, including appliances, old furniture, tree limbs and brush, electronic equipment and more.
A hotline is available for those needing assistance with heavier items or who have questions about the cleanup. Call the hotline, 343-4275, for information.
“Let’s say there’s an old stove or refrigerator,” Neuer said. “Well, we can’t ask one person to do that. Call that magic number and we’ll get a group and come over, and one way or another — it may take a stick of dynamite and a crowbar — we’ll get it out of there.”
Emporia Clean Sweep is just the first step in a bigger effort to improve the city’s appearance, Neuer said.
“You just can’t turn your image around on one cleanup day or in a month,” Neuer said. “This is something you have to instill in people, pride in the community, (the sense) that we’re all in this together.”
Volunteers still are needed for Emporia Clean Sweep, as well as donations. To volunteer for the cleanup or to donate materials, call the hotline. Contributions also can be made to the Emporia Community Foundation’s Building Futures Fund designated for Emporia Clean Sweep, 527 S. Commercial St., Suite 401.
“The first initial step for community awareness is volunteerism,” Neuer said. “All the volunteers, look what they did for the Granada, look what’s being done for the arts center. We just have a great small-town community coming together to say, ‘Hey boys and girls, let’s get this done.’”
Absolute (anonymous) says...
What a great project!! Thanks to all the volunteers!
September 15, 2009 at 10:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
No thank you.
Sure, “junk” is one thing, “trash” is another. The streets of Emporia, particularly downtown, are filthy, as are our parks. Every time the wind blows trash swirls around the town. Anyone who lives downtown will tell you they see people walk out of stores and throw empty bags or receipts on the sidewalk. We’ve all seen people throwing cigarette butts or empty packs on the sidewalk. I have seen people empty their car or truck ashtrays out their windows. I have seen people walk out of a local downtown discount store with a can of oil or other engine fluid, raise their hood, use the product, and throw the empty container in the gutter.
At Peter Pan Park last Saturday we picked up cardboard buckets of chicken bones, beer bottles, plastic soda bottles, napkins, and plastic cutlery all within 20 feet of a trash can.
I have picked up as many as 9 beer bottles in a two block area on northern Commercial, even though both littering and drinking in public are “illegal.”
I have picked up enough trash. Let the city ENFORCE THE LAW, clean up our town, and generate revenue in the process. I'll not lift another finger until I finally see in the local paper’s daily report that a ticket for littering has been written. I don’t think I’ve EVER seen or heard of a single one, even though Commercial Street is technically a state highway and the fines for littering can be very steep. If city fines are to low to make law enforcement “worth while,” then raise the fine to something that hurts. If people choose to scoff at the law or are just too lazy or boorish to bother taking care of their own trash, make them pay.
I think we could use the money. Unless of course it’s just easier to raise our taxes again.
September 16, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
bloomsbury;
I know where you are coming from.
As a downtown merchant, the trash is there every day. It doesn't matter how many times the wife and I clean around our store it comes back. Either from overflowing dumpsters in the alley, or people cleaning out their cars or the "adults" leaving the neighborhood bars with drinks in hand, or drinking in their cars, (both of which are illegal). it always seems to come back. You wouldn't believe how many dirty baby diapers we pick up!(and those don't come from the bar crowd.) And there is a trash container on the corner of the parking lot. My smoking customers usually use the ash cans we provided, but we get out and sweep the city owned lot several times a week to get the ones that don't.
We've had to padlock our dumpster to keep others from using it, the monthly fee is outragous.
To end my venting on here I would like to remind Emporian's that there are 4 drinking establishments and 1 grocery store within 150 feet of the corner of Fourth & Commercial streets. If you notice beer bottles or paper drink cups, or diapers littering our downtown corner, don't assume they came from my business, they didn't.
Respectfully,
Steve Corbin
September 16, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
I will clean and pick up after myself, but even that is not enough, as it seems that there are those who know that if someone else will pick up after them they will just keep dumping and don' t give a hoot about it !
How can I obtain a map and schedule of where the dumpsters will be located ? I would like to know, as I have some of my own trash and other peoples trash that has been left to dump !
I would like to see a location and schedule posted either here or on the Citys website, as I do not receive the Gazette, because I wasn' t sure when or whether I was going to get one when I was a subscriber !
September 16, 2009 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
meth,
city channel 18 on cable if you can read the small map, if not they have a phone # to call
September 16, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dido1969 (anonymous) says...
Hallelujah…I just hope that some of the city officials see this page…I know I have talked to LOTS of people who feel the same way, some are just plain embarrassed by what they see and even more so when they have to make excuses to people who are visiting from other towns, not just in Kansas, but from “wherever”.
I think it’s time to state clearly to the powers that be that “enough is enough,” and that business people are sick & tired of shouldering the work of cleaning up after others.
The dirty diapers are the absolute worst...who in their right mind does this sort of thing? Kind of like the fellow who walks his dog late at night leaving enormous piles of feces on the sidewalks. Hard to believe no one has spotted and reported this clown. It is obviously done on purpose and is revolting. What is worse is when the shop owner lets it sit for day after day...sort of like the pigeon droppings. Not only is this unsightly it is a REAL health hazard.
But, to the subject of littering: Let the slobs pay for their mess with some hefty fines and use the money for community improvement or---dare we say it---tax relief.
September 16, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the info Steve, have a good one, my friend !
September 16, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Dido1969
I am afraid that, even if the City officials do see this page it will do absolutely no good what-so-ever !
The downtown is not in the right location to worry about !
September 16, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
The trash is not just in town, slobs are everywhere. When we first bought our property, my family and I walked the two road ditches that border it gathering up trash. There were eight large trash bags full of it plus what I had to haul off in my truck. Two weeks later, we hauled another four bags full off, the slobs evidently noticed we had made room for more. It's a weekly task to keep the ditches cleaned up, beer cans and bottles, food sacks, feed and seed sacks and other farm trash, oil bottles, scrap metal, and every popular plastic sacks from all the retail stores.
It's the people you need to blame, not the laws or lack of enforcement.
September 16, 2009 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )