Annual cleanup a success
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Nathan Straus Photo David Grubbs, Constable Precinct 3, moves a metal grill to the scrap pile during the Great American Cleanup April 5. Over nine tons of garbage were collected over the course of the morning and early afternoon.

The Great American Cleanup, part of the "Don't Mess with Texas Trash-off", was a colossal success.

Rick Ford, president of Keep Chandler Beautiful, said well over 150 vehicles visited the Henderson County Courthouse Annex building in Chandler on April 5 to drop off items their occupants' homes could do without. Everything from refrigerators to boats was delivered to the garbage dumpsters from 8 am to 1 pm, and even afterward people just kept coming.

"This was one of the best years we've had because the weather was so nice," Ford said. "The garbage amounted to over 18,000 pounds, easily. "

This figure doesn't take metallic objects to be recycled into the equation. With this factored in, Keep Chandler Beautiful and the Chandler location for the Great American Cleanup pulled in over 10 tons of garbage from the Chandler and Lake Palestine communities, as well as the surrounding area.

"This year there were people there at 8:15 in the morning," Ford said. "Last year people were only starting to come in around 10 am."

When the collectors arrived to haul the massive metal dumpsters that held the Great American Cleanup haul, they found the tops of the dumpsters overflowing with dropped off goods, Ford said. People had come after GAC hours to continue to drop things off, and some even swung by to take usable items and save them from the fire or the landfill.

"It's a good feeling hearing people tell us they appreciate letting them come and drop stuff off," Ford said. "One lady did six full loads in her pickup."

Ford added the worst part of the event was having to tell people they couldn't drop off common trash to be taken to dumpsters.

Next year KCB and the GAC have even bigger plans.

Ford said next year's cleanup will likely be in Win- Park on FM 315.

"It's a lot bigger," Ford said. "We've outgrown the place we have now."

Ford also said holding the event in Winchester Park would allow the crowd to be completely out of the way of the fire department vehicles en route to emergencies.

"We'll also bring more dumpsters next time, and we might run a little longer," Ford said.