One of the recent programs of the Mount Airy Noontime Rotary Club involved presentations by two Mount Airy officials and one Surry County official on local environmental clean up programs including incentives offered to groups cleaning up trash.
Darren Lewis, director of city parks and recreation, has worked for Mount Airy for 16 years in various positions, serves on the Mount Airy Appearance Commission and is a facilitator in helping to keep city parks and streets clean and green. He is also responsible for putting up signs to recognize groups who pick up litter.
In 2019, the Adopt a Street program was introduced. He reported that 35 streets in town have been chosen by different neighborhood groups or by Scouts and Rotary to tackle beautification and to increase the litter pick up in town.
The second speaker was Allen Burton, chair of the Mount Airy Appearance Commission. He gave recognition to the efforts of preservationist Susan Ashby, who spearheaded beautification in the 1980s before it was a widespread practice.
Burton reported that the goal of that commission is to beautify the city and to recognize those businesses and individuals who go the extra mile to keep their properties looking professional and pristine. This group will provide bags and gloves to interested parties for use in trash clean-up.
The third speaker was Surry County Commissioner Larry Johnson. He started his presentation with the fact that at the beginning of this year, the vast majority of calls he received dealt with the litter problem in Mount Airy and Surry County. With more than 11,000 miles of highways in the city and county, the commissioners decided to contact the North Carolina Department of Transportation for any suggestions and incentives. Officials there responded immediately with offers to provide bags, gloves and grant money to help with this problem.
At present the county will provide gloves, bags, and will pay $7 per full bag of garbage to any group that registers with the county Development Services office. Johnny Easter is the director and can be reached at 336-401-8311.
Submitted by Ann L. Vaughn, public image chair of Noontime Rotary Club
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com