Coshocton community unites for annual clean-up

The 22nd annual Clean Up Coshocton Day started Saturday morning, April 18 on Court Square.

"Max Crown assigns areas unless they already have an area that they want to work on," said Erin Slaughter, executive director for Coshocton United Way. "He kind of scopes it out to see where the most needed areas are, and he will assign areas as needed. We have doughnuts and water here to get them going, free T-shirts for the first 50 people that sign up, trash bags and gloves, as well as high-visibility vests for those high-traffic areas."

Slaughter said they were hoping for a great turnout.

"We are looking for a good turnout. The weather couldn't be better. Hopefully, people clean up areas in and around the city today and throughout the year as they see it. My daughter Cambry is ready to turn 5, and we have a lot of adult conversations. She noticed litter and said, 'Mommy, they littered. That is going to ruin the Earth.' I'm trying to instill in her at an early age to come out and clean up some of the litter. We have been around town with trash bags, and she has her grabbers, so she is helping today with her dad," Slaughter said.

United Way also collaborated with the Coshocton County Humane Society and Our Town Coshocton.

"We encourage anyone to get out and clean up, regardless of where you are, not only today, but throughout the whole year," Slaughter said.

"A lot of people have spots of their own," said Max Crown, safety service director for Coshocton. "They can go out in their own neighborhood and make sure it looks good. A lot of people leave their bags on the street, and public works can go around and pick everything up.

"Kimble's furnishes a large dumpster for free. The Waibles are at the fairgrounds every year with the Boy Scouts to collect old appliances, computers and things. They do a good job with that, and I think they have been with us from the start. We appreciate them doing that. I think the community is taking a lot of pride in everything they are doing. For years we've had Lake Park clean-up day. We have Our Town doing their deal, and the community comes together. We keep everything as clean as we possibly can."

Scouts and some parents from Troop 403 cleaned the main railroad track starting at the north end of town and working through downtown. They found a lot of old tires, wood and lots of trash thrown out along the tracks at that end.

Mayor Mark Mills joined them to help with the big stuff. Members of the Coshocton Kiwanis Club were at Second and Main streets cleaning up around the Old Millstone.

At the end of the event, Crown and the city workers go out to pick up all the trash bags and dispose of them.