Published: April 03, 2009 10:05 am      

VFW members clean

April 1, 2009 — In conjunction with the state’s Adopt-a-Highway Spring Clean, VFW Post 3705 gabbed some garbage bags and hit the roadway Tuesday, March 24, to make Carter County beautiful.

Greg Rose, VFW member, said this was their second year taking part in the across-the-state program.

“I don’t like to see litter along the roads and that’s why we do this,” he commented prior to the cleanup. “If I have something in my vehicle that I need to get rid of, I wont’ toss it out the window. Instead, I throw it in the back until I can get to a garbage can.”

Volunteers with Post 3705 began cleaning up at the VFW in Gregoryville and continued the 2 1/2 mile stretch to Biggs Hill.

In fact, volunteers across the state will be out this will for the spring clean across the Bluegrass, said Transportation Secretary Joe Prather.

Nearly 1,100 groups now participate in the Kentucky’s Adopt-a-Highway program, which was established in 1988. During their yearly efforts, volunteers actually clean more than 8,000 miles of Kentucky’s roadways.

And just in Carter County alone, volunteers keep 74 miles of the 152 miles of roads clean.

Recently, a The Eastern Kentucky Holy Rollers, a motorcycle ministry in Olive Hill signed up to clean two miles of roadway along a stretch of U.S. near Carter Caves.

Likewise, Rose said his motorcycle group The United States Patriots has sent to Frankfort a request to clean a stretch of road in Sandy Hook. “We have talked to them about it, but haven’t heard anything yet,” he said. “I just think it’s the right thing for any group to do. It keeps our communities looking nice.”

Prather said volunteers are an important part in keeping Kentucky litter free.

“An increase in new groups enrolling in the program shows that Kentuckians place a high importance on maintaining and improving the scenic beauty of our state, “Prather said recently in a press release. “Through their participation they are sending a message that littering is simply unacceptable in our commonwealth.”

Groups interested in becoming members of the Adopt-a-Highway program can find details and district coordinator information at http://adopt-a-highway.ky.gov/ or call Jenny Perkins in Flemingsburg at 800.817.2551.

Safety guidelines are provided to volunteers and should be reviewed prior to each cleanup.