From our April 5, 2001, edition.

Local residents to clean up highways April 7 

Barbara Seal, TxDOT

Everything is bigger in Texas, and community cleanups are no exception as more than 100,000 volunteers take to the streets on Saturday, April 7, 2001, to declare war on trash.

In Donley County, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says there are five Adopt-a-Highway groups who keep twenty miles of road clean during the year. The groups participating in the Trash-Off on April 7 are Clarendon College Cultural Club, Clarendon College Block & Bridle/Phi Theta Kappa Clubs, Hedley Homemakers, and Clarendon Masonic Lodge.

As participants in the 16th annual Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off, these proud Texans will be going to extreme measures to pick up after those who have dared to trash the Lone Star State.

“We are extremely grateful for the way our Trash-Off volunteers demonstrate their Texas pride, but it’s hard work for 100,000 volunteers to pick up after 17 million people,” said TxDOT Travel Division Director Doris Howdeshell.

“Other Texans talk about their state pride, and I challenge them to put that pride into action year-round by keeping our highways litter-free.”

“Currently Adopt-a-Highway volunteers clean only ten percent of the state’s roadways, and state tax dollars must be used to keep the remaining stretches clean,” said Barbara Seal, Childress TxDOT Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator. “Adopting a highway not only helps keep or state beautiful, but it also allows tax dollars to be used for road improvements and beautification instead of trash pickup.”

Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off volunteers will pick up an estimated 2 million tons of litter in time for the spring wildflower season. This massive statewide cleanup is organized by TxDOT and is fueled by volunteers from Adopt-a-Highway groups and Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) communities around the state.

Along with the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash-Off, TxDOT’s litter prevention programs have reversed a trend in the increase of trash on Texas highways, resulting in a 72 percent reduction in litter. TxDOT’s grassroots partner, Keep Texas Beautiful, is a nonprofit, environmental organization consisting of a network of private citizens, communities, industries, civic groups, schools, and government agencies.

For more information, call Barbara Seal, TxDOT Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator at 940-937-7145.