Spring cleaning ramps up

MAT-SU — The Mat-Su Borough and Valley communities are cleaning up their act after a snowy winter. Spring clean-up events are on across the Valley through most of May, encouraging residents to pick up trash along public roadways and parks.

The borough will distribute about 20,000 distinctive bright yellow trash bags to volunteer clean-up groups this spring, said Cathy Mayer, the borough’s solid waste manager. It’s an effort that sees volunteers gather “literally tons and tons” of garbage that collects over the winter months, she said.

“What a wonderful way to get a lot of volunteers out to clean up a lot of litter that’s been out there all winter or collected over the winter,” she said. For clean-up efforts, the borough waves the disposal fees, she said.

This year, close to 40 Mat-Su municipalities and groups — from Talkeetna to Chickaloon and everywhere between — have signed up to spruce up the Valley, Mayer said.

Spring is already a busy time for the borough’s central landfill and transfer sites, but Mayer said the extra strain on her resources is worth it.

“We take this on with our normal work, and it’s pretty crazy this time of year anyway,” she said. “It’s just one more thing in the mix.”

While the cities of Houston and Palmer have dedicated a week for clean up — May 7-12 — Wasilla has set aside 12 days, beginning today.

The program has been very successful for Wasilla, said Archie Giddings, the city’s longtime public works director. “We get a lot of volunteers who help man Dumpsters, and the borough helps support fees for the Dumpsters.”

Along with community pride and sprucing up parks and roadways, there’s another great reason for the Valley to pick up all that accumulated winter garbage, Giddings said.

“We’re coming right into tourist season here, so the best face we can put on the better,” he said. “Also, the residents certainly take a lot of pride in having a clean place to live.”

Mayer and Giddings both stressed that special refuse bags and Dumpsters are for trash collected in public places, not for people cleaning up their private property. For people doing their own spring cleanup, there are other borough incentives, Mayer said.

The borough recently mailed out $12 coupons to residents redeemable at the central landfill or transfer sites to pay for trash disposal, she said. The borough is also working with property owners to promote fire safety, accepting woody vegetation free through Oct. 31 at the central landfill.

Check with the borough or your municipality’s public works department for bag pick up locations and information about where to drop off collected trash.

Houston

Spring clean-up week is May 7 to 12. Pick up bags 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays at the Houston Fire Station or city hall. For more information, call 892-6457. Drop off collected trash at the Dumpster at the fire station. Every bag dropped off will be good for one ticket to be entered in a drawing for prizes. There also will be a clean-up barbecue from 2 to 5 p.m., May 12 at the station.

Mat-Su Borough

Borough-wide, spring clean up runs through May 12. The effort is intended to encourage community volunteer efforts to clean up public places and rights of way, the borough says on its website.

To encourage sprucing up of private property as well, the borough mailed $12 coupons to residents redeemable at the landfill or transfer stations.

Community groups wanting to organize clean-up activities can contact the borough at 745-9838 to get bags and arrange for disposal.

Palmer

Spring clean-up week is May 7 to 12. Pick up bags at the city’s Public Works Administration Office, 1316 S. Bonanza St. Families are allowed five bags each and encouraged to pick up garbage from public areas, not just their own property. Drop filled bags at the Public Works office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays.

Wasilla

Spring clean up begins today and runs through May 12. Pick up bags at Wasilla City Hall, the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center and the Dorothy G. Page Museum. Filled bags can be dropped off at the Dumpster at Iditapark. There will be a volunteer appreciation picnic at 2 p.m., May 12 at Iditapark. Call 357-9100 for more information.

Other efforts

Along with Mat-Su municipalities, private and nonprofit groups also organize spring clean-up events.

• Beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry will host a clean-up day with food and drinks for volunteers.

• Alaska ATV Club will host its annual Jim Creek Clean Up May 19. For more information, visit alaskaatvclub.org.

• Today through May 12, the Mat-Su Borough Landfill, 1201 N. 49th State St., is also hosting free woody vegetation disposal. Private property owners (no commercial loads) can drop off cleared vegetation like shrubs and tree trimmings free of charge.

For more information about spring clean up or Mat-Su Borough waste disposal, visit http://tinyurl.com/7ap3lco.