web1_TTL030116lccc.red_.jpg

LCCC Wellness Committee sponsors go red for women’s day

web1_amyresized.jpg

Amy Schumer tickets go on sale this week

Are you bothered by empty cans and other litter lining area roads such as the North Cross-Valley Expressway between Plains Township and the Back Mountain?

Sickened by the sight of vehicle tires dumped on creek banks and woodsy ravines?

Do something about it this spring. For starters, pitch in during one of the region’s many trash pickups held between March 1 and May 31 as part of the <a href="http://www.gacofpa.org" target="_blank">Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania</a>. The annual campaign to rid our landscapes of unsightly and potentially unsafe garbage relies on thousands of residents to sign up, show up and pluck debris from public spaces: parks, playgrounds, trails, stream beds and streetsides.

In Luzerne County, at least a half-dozen cleanups already have been scheduled in places such as Avoca, Fairview Township, Forty Fort, Jeddo and Nanticoke, according to the campaign’s website, at gacofpa.org. Most of the beautification efforts will occur in April, on or near Earth Day. In Shickshinny, however, the Susquehanna Warrior Trail Council intends to assemble volunteers to scour sections of the riverside trail on March 19, according to the website.

If a cleanup isn’t planned near your home, you’re encouraged to coordinate one. Register the event on the website to let potential helpers know about it; cleanups conducted as part of “Pick it Up PA Days,” from April 16 to May 9, become eligible for “reduced or free disposal at participating landfills,” according to a news release from the state Department of Transportation. PennDOT and other program sponsors also typically provide supplies: gloves, trash bags and safety vests.

If you are passionate about keeping Northeastern Pennsylvania’s pristine places looking good, get involved in other ways:

• “Adopt” a stretch of roadway. For state roads, contact the nearest <a href="http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/hwybeaut/AAH%20GAC%20COORDINATORS%20LIST.pdf" target="_blank">PennDOT county maintenance</a> office or visit <a href="http://www.penndot.gov/Pages/default.aspx#.VtXqyeZLPYo" target="_blank">penndot.gov</a> and look under “About PennDOT” and “Volunteer.” For locally maintained roads, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website, at keeppabeautiful.org, then click on “How to Keep It” and “<a href="http://www.keeppabeautiful.org/KeepIt/AdoptionProgram.aspx" target="_blank">Adoption Program</a>.”

• Encourage your municipal officials to offer recycling events for hard-to-discard items such as appliances and household hazardous waste, including paints and pesticides. Also, take advantage of free electronics and tire drop-off programs offered through the <a href="http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/solid_waste_management" target="_blank">Luzerne County Solid Waste Management Department</a>.

• Learn how to discourage fly-by-night contractors and other scofflaws from illegally disposing of junk. Nearly 160 dump sites were identified across Luzerne County during a survey completed for a group formerly known as PA CleanWays, according to its <a href="http://www.keeppabeautiful.org/Portals/0/PDFs/IDS/MASTER_luzerneIDS.pdf" target="_blank">2007 report</a>. You can learn about a surveillance equipment loan program and anti-dumping policies by visiting <a href="http://illegaldumpfreepa.org/" target="_blank">IllegalDumpFreePa.org</a>.

Sometimes it might look as if no one cares about the conditions of this region’s forests, fields and waterways. But plenty of people do. Join them.
<div class="neFileBlock">
<div class="neFile">

<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Trash.jpg" alt="" />
<div class="neCaption">Help to keep streams and other Northeastern Pennsylvania landscapes free of household garbage and other debris. Participate – or organize – a cleanup this spring as part of the annual statewide beautification campaign. Get details at www.gacofpa.org.</div>
</div>
<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Trash.jpgHelp to keep streams and other Northeastern Pennsylvania landscapes free of household garbage and other debris. Participate – or organize – a cleanup this spring as part of the annual statewide beautification campaign. Get details at www.gacofpa.org. Times Leader file photo</div>
</div>

</div>
<div class="metaInfo">
<factboxMeta>


<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.civicscience.com/widget/jspoll/?elt=93963f29-69b6-de84-e5fb-d798dd8ef1da&amp;tgt=1744&amp;q1=54935&amp;expire=2016-4-2"></script><div id="93963f29-69b6-de84-e5fb-d798dd8ef1da"></div>



</factboxMeta>

</div>

Our Opinion: Rid litter from NEPA’s roadsides and public spaces during this massive volunteer campaign