(Spencer)—The annual spring cleanup will be held this Saturday in Spencer. Bob Rose, one of the event’s organizers, says it got it’s start back in the 70’s and has grown ever since…(click here for comment.) “Wayne Westoff, a police officer for the Spencer Police Department, was very much aware of beautifying the community: picking up trash. He did it on his own for so many years. Then he got the Main Street organization involved in it and sort of managed the two cleanups that we do on an annual basis, spring and fall. So over the years it’s evolved from something Wayne did on his own to a community activity. We enlist the help of our service clubs and our sports teams.”
Mike Harleman, who’s also helping to organize this year’s events, says they’re also looking for individuals to volunteer…(click here for comment.) “We need people with pickups and stuff like that. Service groups are going to be going out, they have assigned areas they’ll be cleaning up. The Spencer football team, they’ve been doing this probably for about 13 years, and it’s a great help because you’re talking probably 70 plus people and that’s great. They all clean up from north Spencer, basically, out to Morton Buildings and past, that’s a great help. 18th Street needs to be cleaned up and south Grand. We’ve got to also thank Love Spencer for starting the program out, then we follow behind them with the service clubs cleaning out ditches and stuff like that.”
Rose says volunteers should dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. He says other items will be provided…(click here for comment.) “We furnish the bags, we furnish the plastic gloves and we give a little instruction on if you find something unusual, don’t mess with it. Call somebody. We want safety when these people are going out. It’s unfortunate we have to talk about things like that, but there are objects thrown out in ditches that are dangerous.”
Those interested in helping out with Spencer’s cleanup day are asked to meet at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at Legends Event Center where a breakfast will be available.
