Warwicks Operation Clean Sweep another huge success
WARWICK Michael Johndrow, executive director of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased that so many organizations, businesses and individuals contributed to another successful Operation Clean Sweep, the annual roadside cleanup sponsored by the Chamber. The event was held during the weekend of Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29.
We believe there was another record number of volunteers who participated, said Johndrow, but since many citizens do so without signing up, its impossible to have an accurate count.
The Committee Chairman of this years Operation Clean Sweep was again Superintendent of Schools Dr. Raymond Bryant, who was also on hand to help direct drivers to the Warwick Lions Club shredding truck.
Im still working for Heather, he said, referring to Warwick Valley High School student Heather Storms, who coordinated volunteers and promotions for the event. Storms, a senior at Warwick Valley High School, is a Gold Medal member of Heart of the Hudson Girl Scout Troop 788 and has been helping out with Operation Clean Sweep as a community service project for the past three years.
After this years Operation Clean Sweep, Storms will pass the baton to Julia Vargas, a cadet with Girl Scout Troop 423.
Sponsors This years sponsors included St. Anthony Community Hospital, which supplied the rubber gloves; ShopRite supermarket, which offered food and garbage bags; Tuscan Café, responsible for the coffee and Nobel Pies.
Many local residents had also independently joined the spring clean up days or weeks before the chamber event by gathering trash along the roads in their neighborhoods. Refuse pickup for Operation Clean Sweep was scheduled for this past Monday and Tuesday by both Town and Village Departments of Public Works and Warwick Sanitation. Orange County offered one-time free dumping.
In addition to the road clean-up, The Warwick Lions Club hosted a shredding truck, at its own expense, for the benefit of local residents. This years final tally is not available but last year approximately 12,000 pounds of documents were shredded.
The Computer Guy, 14 West St., hosted an electronics recycling program and will continue to accept these items free of charge. Call 544-1694 for an appointment.
A pill drop organized by the Warwick Valley Coalition in cooperation with the Warwick Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collected approximately 110 pounds of unused prescription and over the counter medications.
Year-round effort Residents are urged to continue doing their part to keep the roads free of trash throughout the year. Any organization, business or individual may also Adopt-A-Road and have their name placed on a sign. For a fee of $60, the town will install a sign on the stretch of road that participants wish to adopt. Adoption of a roadside entails picking up litter several times a year. Order forms can be downloaded at www.townofwarwick.org. They are also available at the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce Caboose office on South St.
The Village of Warwick is also planning to offer a similar program for its streets.
- Roger Gavan