Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 29, 1992 TAG: 9203270220
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JEANNINE E. RELLY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The one-day countywide event is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a celebratory picnic. The cleanup is the culmination of yearlong organizational efforts by the Montgomery County Improvement Council, a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving and improving the county's environment.
A variety of people unite for the cleanup. Volunteers come from businesses, civic groups, churches, families and student groups, said Bob Blanton, co-chairman of the project.
"Even though the weather was bad the last couple of years, people still turned out in high numbers collecting significant amounts of trash and huge amounts of recyclable material," said co-chairwoman Alison Limoges.
Last year, volunteers collected more than a half-million pounds of trash and recycled 5,540 pounds of glass, 194 pounds of aluminum and 100 pounds of plastic. The effort covered 238 miles of road, 11 miles of stream banks, 11 parks and public lands, and 12 schools.
Limoges says she encourages groups to consider cleaning near where they live or work. "Cleanup doesn't have to be limited to public property - it can be an apartment complex, a condo or a town house," she said. "Usually you don't have to look far to see trash needing to be picked up."
The illegal-dumping committee picked 17 potential cleanup sites from community requests and dumping complaints filed at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
This year the committee realized some sites were too difficult to reach with front-end loaders and bulldozers. "We had to consider people's safety," said Tom Greene, map and assignment chairman.
So the program will focus on removing litter such as drink cans, paper cups and tires dumped from roads and turnoffs, he said. Only three sites will require use of heavy equipment.
Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff Larry Wooddell said illegal dumping continues to be a problem. He said removing water heaters, mattresses, refrigerators, stoves and beds from illegal dump sites costs the county money.
Broomin' & Bloomin' has made a difference, Greene said. He knows of two illegal dump sites cleaned last year that have not been dumped in since then.
Bill Swain, co-chairman of Broomin' & Bloomin', says environmental education also is a focus for the Improvement Council. Last fall, the group sponsored a Broomin' & Bloomin' poster contest for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
A current project involves 17 schools conducting cleanup activities the week before Broomin' & Bloomin'.
Many volunteer groups from past Broomin' & Bloomin' campaigns schedule cleanup days four times a year, Blanton said. Sixty-eight groups in the county are participating in the state Adopt-A-Highway program. The Adopt-A-Spot program, which can focus on a trail, cemetery, vacant lot or street, has 41 Blacksburg groups and 22 Christiansburg groups participating.
In preparation for this year's Broomin' & Bloomin', each volunteer group should assign a leader to attend an April 8 orientation at 6 p.m. at the Blacksburg Area Branch Library, 400 Draper Road. At the meeting, group leaders will receive gloves, plastic bags, orange safety vests, bright green Broomin' & Bloomin' T-shirts for all participants, forms for recording the trash collected, first-aid kits and a safety briefing. If group leaders or individuals haven't chosen cleanup routes themselves, they will be assigned areas at the orientation.
Swain said volunteers should wear bright clothing and sturdy shoes and bring rain gear to the cleanup. Trash and recycle bags will be picked up by trucks and taken to the Montgomery County Landfill and recycling center at 400 County Drive.
Recyclables include aluminum, brown, green and clear glass and plastic products with No. 1 or 2 on the bottom.
The Blacksburg Transit System will provide transportation to the cleanup sites from the parking lot behind Virginia Tech's Derring Hall at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers can take either the 12:30 bus from the cleanup to the picnic or take the bus back to campus at 1 p.m. Buses will leave the picnic for campus every 30 minutes.
In addition to food and live music, there are awards every year at the picnic. Prizes are given for the largest volunteer group turnout; junk found in the strangest location; trash found farthest from its origin; the most unusual piece of junk; and the largest, heaviest piece of junk.
Broomin' & Bloomin' has received a few awards itself, said Thomas Loflin, publicity chairman. The project won state awards from Take Pride In America the past three years. Last summer, Montgomery County Improvement Council was a top finalist in the Take Pride In America National Awards Program. That program, started in 1986, is open to any group or individual that has contributed to improved use of America's land, water and cultural resources.
Many private companies and several government organizations are donating trucks and heavy equipment for the cleanup. Blanton said donations include cleanup supplies, food and T-shirts.
Co-chairwoman Limoges says she hopes people will honor their cleanup commitment rain or shine. "It's a chance to see in action how one person, and one person, and one person can add up and make a difference," she said.
For more information on Broomin' & Bloomin' call Bill Swain at 231-7801, Alison Limoges at 552-4909 or Bob Blanton at 382-5793.
by CNB