KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
This Saturday is community clean up day here in Kodiak. Joyce Gregory is with the Kodiak Lions Club and said it’s an opportunity for people to spruce up different areas – sort of an island-wide spring cleaning, if you will.
She said free clean up bags will be provided at the high school parking lot Saturday morning.
“Everybody meets there at 9 a.m. and we have a large borough map and everybody kind of tells the area that they’d like to go clean up, usually around their own home. There are some organizations that have specific areas that they clean up every year, like up on Pillar Mountain or white sands beach or whatever. And then they go out and clean it up and leave their bags alongside the road.”
Summer Wood is the community relations director for the Chamber of Commerce and said different organizations will be picking up bags alongside the road, but there are some changes to how that will be done this year.
“They can leave them on the side of the road, but no roadside junk. They can leave their trash bags on the side of the road and we have guys we call swampers – Alaska Waste, Threshold, Kodiak Lawn Care and Jay Brant Construction – they go out and will pick up these bags and then take them to the dump.”
In the past large junk items were picked up, but this year Wood said those won’t be able to be picked up and will be left on the side of the road.
Wood said community clean up efforts shouldn’t be limited to Saturday, and people can stop by the Chamber of Commerce any day to pick up a bag and help beautify Kodiak.
However, on Saturday Threshold Recycling Services will be accepting electronics for a discounted price at the high school parking lot, and other discarded household goods can also be dropped off.
“Such as paint, floor products, diesel fuel, car wax, those kinds of things, you can bring that to the high school as well and there is a company called Clean Harbors and they will take that during that time as well.”
People can stop by the high school anytime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to take advantage of those services and to pick up bags. The landfill will also accept items for free until 4 p.m. And if all that cleaning works up an appetite, the Lions Club will fire up the grill at the high school around noon and provide hot dogs for anyone taking part in the community clean up.
