Yokena couple tackles trashy roadsides|[12/28/05]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Keeping roadsides clear of litter is a daunting task for governments, but it’s not proving too large for a Warren County couple who vowed to beautify their neighborhood – one stretch at a time.

&#8220I’d see all these beer bottles, cans and fast-food bags along the road. I just got tired of looking at it,” said Teresa Richards, who along with her husband, Russell Richards, formed a two-person cleanup crew.

They work along roads in their Yokena neighborhood, a tucked-away, hilly stretch of Jeff Davis Road between Rule Road and U.S. 61 South.

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Along with a few neighbors they recruited, the Richards’ efforts have already shown results.

&#8220The first time we did it was in August. We filled up 36 of those 40-gallon trash bags full of litter,” Russell Richards said, adding that they had to contact county officials to inquire how to dispose of it.

In rural areas outside the city limits, Warren County contracts up to five vendors to handle residential sanitation.

Now, they said, the consistent hourlong runs they periodically make with Russell’s trusty hand-held trash picker have made a noticeable dent in the litter problem in their area.

&#8220It’ll always be the things people throw out their window while driving, but at least it’s gotten less and less each time,” said Russell, a lifelong resident of Yokena.

With their efforts in picking up litter making a difference, they’ve moved on to trash that can clog the small ravines dotting the landscape around the Richards’ neighborhood.

&#8220People have used those ravines for garbage dumps for years,” Russell Richards said.

&#8220I’ve seen old beer cans from the days of pull-ring tops, which tells you how long this stuff’s been out there,” he said.

Both see it as a clear example of how a few committed citizens can make a difference in their community.

&#8220Hopefully more people will do this and this will catch on. You can’t always wait around for government to do this kind of thing for you,” Russell Richards said.

According to a 2000 study by Daniel B. Syrek of The Institute for Applied Research and J. Frank Bernheisel of Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc., litter is defined broadly as &#8220manmade or man-transported products or materials in the wrong place.”

Mississippi’s litter rate along rural roads is 30 percent higher than the national average, the study said, with the majority being associated with take-out food packaging and miscellaneous plastic.

Its findings also indicate that homeowners and other organized volunteer efforts pick up 40 percent of all litter, with the rest of it either running off into waterways or eventually covered by soil.