Editorial
Spring arrives tomorrow, Thursday, March 20, and two days later, the Rockbridge Community Cleanup will get underway and continue through next week. For 30 years, this annual spring spruce up of the community has been a collective effort to pick up trash along area roadsides, clean up rogue dumps and generally just make the Rockbridge area a more presentable place.
Rockbridge Conservation (formerly the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council), in partnership with Rockbridge County and the Virginia Department of Transportation, leads this annual initiative to clean up the community. Hundreds of volunteers, many representing civic organizations, churches, scout troops, schools or groups created for just this purpose, will hit the streets wearing orange vests and filling orange garbage bags. Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for these roadside workers so as to keep everyone safe.
In order to participate, groups and individuals are encouraged to sign up online at Rockbridge Conservation’s website, rockbridgeconservation. org, by clicking on the “Annual Community Cleanup” link. Bags and vests are available at Rockbridge Regional Library branches and county recycling collection centers.
Volunteers can choose the roads or locations that they wish to clean up, and they can even select alternative dates and times to participate in this communitywide event. Anyone who knows of particular areas that should be targeted is asked to contact Jamie Goodin, Rockbridge Conservation’s executive director, at (540) 463-2330 or via email at cleanup@ rockbridgeconservation.com The Rockbridge Community Cleanup has a rich history that, according to The News-Gazette archives, dates to the spring of 1995. RACC’s Cleanup ’95 drew more than 300 volunteers who collected more than 64 tons of garbage from the area’s roadside and numerous illegal dumps. Among the rogue dumps targeted were ones at Big Hill, Robinson Gap, Blue Heaven and Gilmore’s Mill. Heavy equipment was utilized to remove large items from the dumps. The Kerrs Creek gap dump on the Bratton Run side and the North Mountain dump were targeted in subsequent years.
The origins of the community cleanup can actually be traced to the previous year, 1994, when RACC volunteers Mollie Messimer, Kevin Donovan, Steve Richards, Chris Wise and others gathered for weekly planning meetings at Harb’s Deli in downtown Lexington.
Pete Davis played a key role in the early years, according to a News-Gazette account, in “leading a crew of hardy volunteers who tackled steep hillsides in the county where people had illegally tossed appliances, tires, dead deer and other nasty stuff.” Others who contributed to these efforts included Andy McThenia, Danny and Timmy Goodbar, Chuck Barger and Glenn Rose. Workers from Deacon’s Sawmill helped with the cleanup of the dump on North Mountain.
Students from Washington and Lee University, Virginia Military Institute, Southern Virginia University and the local high schools have all lent a hand to the community cleanups over the years. Rose, who used to run a canoe livery out of the old Coffee Pot building on U.S. 60 near the Ben Salem Wayside, would bus students from W&L to cleanup sites.
Among the civic organizations that have been involved is the Kerrs Creek Ruritan Club. In a News-Gazette retrospective on the 25th anniversary of the cleanup, club member Rene Hasey recalled that the cleanup was an equal opportunity endeavor, with women taking part too, even though their male counterparts had initially thought the work to be too “dirty and disgusting” for them.
Barbara Walsh, Goodin’s predecessor as Rockbridge Conservation’s executive director, was quoted in that same newspaper article as noting that the cleanup had drawn as many as 600 volunteers in a single year. A competitive edge was added to the cleanup a few years ago. Brandy Flint, on behalf of the county, helped establish the Litter Challenge to award the team that collected the most trash with a trophy. Mark Cline designed and donated the Litter Cup that’s awarded annually to the top team.
We have mentioned just a few of the many individuals who have contributed to the success of the community cleanup that adds greatly to maintaining the beauty of the Rockbridge area, year after year. We acknowledge all of those who have made the cleanup such a special event and encourage everyone who can to join in the effort.
