On Sunday, March 1, a group of volunteers met just west of Gerald for a trash cleanup. This project was the brain child of a former Gerald resident, Candi Ritchie. She posted in a Facebook group, the Gerald Grapevine, that she was tired of seeing so much trash along U.S. Highway 50 from the western edge of Gerald to County Line Road. She stated that she would be there Sunday to start cleaning up the trash and asked for others to join her.

Since the Adopt a Highway program has ended, it is now up to citizens to keep the road cleaned up. One participant in the now defunct litter program had leftover yellow trash bags and orange vests they offered to bring. Others said they could be there to help.

When Sunday rolled around there were enough people present that they managed to clean up the roadside from the Gerald city limits west to W. Springfield Rd. They gathered a small mountain of debris, litter, and a tire in their efforts.

They gathered a small mountain of debris, litter, and a tire in their efforts. They gathered a small mountain of debris, litter, and a tire in their efforts.

Sometimes, it doesn’t, and shouldn’t, require a government agency to do what needs to be done. It took the group about two hours to clean the entire section.

Once there results were posted on Facebook others chimed in saying they would help on a section near their homes. Ritchie seems determined to continue the project in local areas along the highway as long as there are volunteers interested in helping. She told The Republican the next stretch of clean up will probably be from W. Springfield to County Line Road.  She would eventually like to clean the highway from Beaufort to Route 28 and then on into Owensville. People don’t need to wait for that date to be announced.  Just grab a bag and pick up trash wherever you see it.