MOUNT GILEAD — October was a busy month for cleaning up playgrounds, parks and roads in Morrow County. Recycling Director, Lindsey Grimm described the Team-up for Clean-up events as the “fall kick-off to help give Morrow County public spaces a revitalization of beauty and community pride.”
Cardington-Lincoln Elementary third graders conducted a clean-up around their play ground on Oct. 11. Children gained an understanding why it is important to recycle and care for the environment around us. Everyone received safety gear that included gloves, safety vest and trash/recycle bags.
Third grade teacher Michelle Goughenour said, “Our third graders loved learning how to be more civic minded and how to work toward preserving our environment. We also loved meeting the green caped crusader (played by Grimm.)
Goughenour added, “Mrs. Grimm did an amazing job with the organization of the clean-up, as well as educating our little Pirates of the importance of taking care of our environment for future generations.”
Another team that helped in the fall clean-up project was the Morrow County Goodwill Job Development/Placement Program members who conducted a clean-up on Oct. 4 and 9. Gompf Funeral Services had a team that did a clean-up at Maxwell Park in Cardington on Oct. 5. Morrow County Hospital Green Team members conducted a clean-up on County Road 9, Saturday, Oct. 20.
Four families that included eight individuals participated in clean-ups in October. The Tomorrow Center River Clean-up of Whetstone Creek was also part of the county-wide clean-up effort.
Grimm said the fall clean-up efforts totaled 1,367 pounds of litter collected. Of that, a total of 412 pounds was recycled and 955 pounds was trash that went into the landfill.
The fall clean-up events were made possible through a 2018 Litter Management Grant, funded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA.) The grant totaled $10,462 with $9,511 from the OEPA and $951 in the county’s match. The grant started on July 1, 2018 and will sponsor activities and events that target litter collection from public property through June 30, 2019. Funding also includes backpack kits for groups, families and individuals who help with clean-up.
Grimm is looking forward to November, which is “America Recycles” month. She welcomes all who wish to help keep the roads, parks and schools grounds clean and healthy, to contact the Morrow County Recycling/Keep Morrow County Beautiful office at 419-946-6400.
The next official clean-up event will be the 40th Annual Morrow County Trash Bash Event, held in April 2019.
