As summer gives way to fall, volunteers will soon fan out along Michigan state roadsides looking for trash during the year’s final Adopt-A-Highway pickup. Thousands of volunteers in the popular Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) program will be picking up litter from Saturday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Sept. 29.

There are three scheduled Adopt-A-Highway pickups each year: one each in the spring, summer and fall. Volunteers in Michigan have been participating in the program since 1990. Every year, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collect 65,000 to 70,000 bags of trash. The popular program has grown to involve nearly 2,800 groups cleaning 6,100 miles of highway.

Motorists should be on the lookout beginning Saturday for volunteers wearing high-visibility, yellow-green safety vests. MDOT provides free vests and trash bags, and arranges to haul away the trash.

Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families. Crew-members have to be at least 12 years old and each group must include at least three people. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years. There is no fee to participate. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.

Sections of highway are available for adoption all over the state. Getting involved in the program is straightforward. Interested groups can get more information at www.Michigan.gov/AdoptAHighway.

Motorists should be on the lookout beginning Saturday as thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers fan out along state roadways from Calumet to Kalamazoo picking up litter. Participants in the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) program will clean highway roadsides from July 14 to 22 during the second of three scheduled pickups this year.

Every year, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers regularly collect 65,000 to 70,000 bags of trash. The popular program began in 1990 and has grown to involve more than 2,800 groups cleaning 6,300 miles of highway.

Getting involved in the program is straightforward. Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families. Crew members have to be at least 12 years old and each group must include at least three people. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years. There is no fee to participate. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.

When working in a highway right of way, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers wear high-visibility, yellow-green safety vests required by federal regulations. MDOT provides free vests and trash bags, and arranges to haul away the trash.

Sections of highway are available for adoption all over the state. Interested groups can get more information on joining the program at www.michigan.gov/adoptahighway.

The year’s final Adopt-A-Highway pickup is scheduled for the fall, from Sept. 22 to 30.

It’s that time again: a chill is in the air, leaves are beginning to turn, and crews are getting ready for the year’s last Adopt-A-Highway pickup along state roadways. Participants in the popular Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) program will be picking up litter along highway roadsides from Saturday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 2.

“We’d like to thank our thousands of Adopt-A-Highway crews for their dedication and hard work to help keep Michigan roadsides clean,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “Every year, these volunteers provide a financial boost for MDOT and our entire state. Their service is greatly appreciated.”

There are three scheduled Adopt-A-Highway pickups each year: one each in the spring, summer and fall. Michigan volunteers have been participating in the program since 1990. Every year, Adopt-A-Highway crews collect about 70,000 bags of trash. The volunteer efforts of nearly 3,200 Adopt-A-Highway groups generate about $5 million annually in value for state taxpayers.

During the pickup period, motorists should be on the lookout for volunteers wearing high-visibility, yellow-green safety vests. MDOT provides free vests and trash bags, and arranges to haul away the trash.
Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families. Crew members have to be at least 12 years old and each group must number at least three people.

Sections of highway are still available for adoption. Interested groups should check the MDOT Adopt-A-Highway website at www.michigan.gov/adoptahighway for more information and the name of their county’s coordinator, who can specify available roadsides. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years; there is no fee to participate. Adopt-A-Highway volunteer groups are recognized with signs bearing a group’s name posted along stretches of adopted highway.

Motorists should be on the lookout beginning Saturday as thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers head back to state roadways to pick up litter. Participants in the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) program will clean highway roadsides from July 16 to 24 during the second of three scheduled pickups this year.

“We have tremendous appreciation for the Adopt-A-Highway volunteers and their dedication to keeping Michigan roadsides clean,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “Please be alert during the litter pickup period and drive cautiously when you see these crews at work.”

Every year, dedicated Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collect about 70,000 bags of trash, generating about a $5 million value annually for state taxpayers. The popular program began in 1990 and has grown to involve nearly 3,000 groups cleaning 6,400 miles of highway.

Getting involved in the program is straightforward. Volunteers include members of civic groups, businesses and families. Crew members have to be at least 12 years old and each group must include at least three people. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years. There is no fee to participate. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing group names are posted along the stretches of adopted highway.

When working in a highway right of way, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers wear high-visibility, yellow-green safety vests required by federal regulations. MDOT provides free vests and trash bags, and arranges to haul away the trash.

Sections of highway are still available for adoption. Interested groups can get more information at www.michigan.gov/adoptahighway.

The year’s final Adopt-A-Highway pickup is scheduled for the fall, from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2.

Members of the Community Building Development Team began a cleanup last Saturday of some recently acquired land

Nick Andres working the chainsaw.

The Community Building Development Team, a local non-profit looking to make a positive difference in Cedar Springs, began a cleanup last Saturday of some recently acquired land.

The clean up along the White Pine Trail and storage area that previously belonged to Tony Johnson, located at the west end of Maple Street, began on a cold and windy January 10, when a bunch of supermen from the area got to work. Nick Andres, Kurt Mabie, and Dave Ringler, from the Community Building Development Team, pulled the event together. The West Michigan Hawks, a semi-pro football team in the Minor League Football Alliance league and based in Cedar Springs, brought 10 of their finest guys to help out. Several other men from the community came along for a total of nearly 20 guys wielding chain saws and basic brawn to cut down trees and brush.

Everyone got started at 9:00 a.m. and had made a huge dent by 11:30 a.m. Dave Ringler and Rose Powell opened the Brewery and former Red Flannel Festival offices for a warm place to eat and Little Caesar’s Pizza of Cedar Springs donated enough pizza to feed everyone.  Dave provided beer (of course!) and Rose provided hot chocolate. There was also pop and coffee for all the workers.

CS Manufacturing recently purchased the property from the Tony Johnson Estate and plans to donate a portion to the CBDT. Permission from the appropriate organizations had been granted to the CBDT for a clean-up prior to Saturday’s work.

There will be lots of other opportunities to work together as a community to plant rain gardens and stream buffers, clear land, clean up Cedar Creek and much more. You, too, can join the team of volunteers working under the name of Community Building Development Team and help to make a positive difference in Cedar Springs. The team meets on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month in the board room on the 3^rd floor of Hilltop School at 6 pm. Facebook fans can also “Like” the Cedar Springs Community Building Development Team or check out the website at CSCommunityCenter.org to get information as it becomes available.

Grab your friends and family and make a difference this Saturday by helping to clean up Cedar Creek. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

It’s that time of year again—time to get out and clean up Cedar Creek and the surrounding area!

The City of Cedar Springs will be holding their fifth annual Earth Day cleanup on Saturday, April 28. The day starts at 8 a.m. with E-waste collection behind Cedar Springs City Hall. Bring all your electronic waste for disposal such as computers, monitors, keyboards, cell phones, radios, stereos, laptops, VCRs, modems, power cords, etc. This will be staffed by the Cedar Springs Rotary.

Then meet at 10 a.m. at the trail staging area on W. Maple Street (west off Main) to clean up Cedar Creek. Volunteers report to the staging area to receive their t-shirts and clean-up assignments. The first 100 registered get a free shirt. New this year is a limited number of trash picks and waders for volunteers to borrow.

There will be a city surplus auction at 1 p.m. to auction off surplus city equipment, along with a container to collect expired or unused prescription drugs (see article on page ??). No liquid or syringes accepted.

Visit the city’s website at www.cityofcedarsprings.org to download a registration form for the cleanup. Registration is not mandatory to participate, but it does help the city to pre-assign clean-up locations, and plan for the purchase of trash bags and t-shirts. Please return the form to City Hall (66 S. Main St., PO Box 310,Cedar Springs, MI  49319 Attn: Chris Burns. You may also fax the form to 616.696.0202.  Please call City Hall at 616.696.1330 X 104 with any questions.

Cedar Creek is one of our greatest assets. Our town, the second village in Kent County, was established along that creek and named for both the springs that flowed from it and the Cedar trees that bordered it. It supports wildlife and flora, and is a key component of the future plans of this city. Our city will only be as beautiful as we make it.

The City of Cedar Springs will be holding their fifth annual Earth Day cleanup on Saturday, April 28. The day starts at 8 a.m. with E-waste collection behind Cedar Springs city hall. Bring all your electronic waste for disposal such as computers, monitors, keyboards, cell phones, radios, stereos, laptops, VCRs, modems, power cords, etc. The trailer will be there until 3 p.m. This will be staffed by the Cedar Springs Rotary. No TVs or big box appliances will be accepted. Televisions may be brought to Comprenew at 629 Ionia SW in Grand Rapids for recycling. A fee will be charged per TV.

Then meet at 10 a.m. at the trail staging area on W. Maple Street (west off Main) to clean up Cedar Creek. Volunteers report to the staging area to receive their t-shirts and clean-up assignments. The first 100 registered get a free shirt. New this year is a limited number of track picks and waders for volunteers to borrow.

The days’ events will conclude with a City Surplus Auction beginning at 1:00 p.m. with excess City equipment to be auctioned off.

Visit the city’s website at www.cityofcedarsprings.org to download a registration form for the cleanup. Registration is not mandatory to participate, but it does help the city to pre-assign clean-up locations, and plan for the purchase of trash bags and t-shirts.

The weather was not kind to the 30 people who showed up to for the annual Cedar Creek clean-up in Cedar Springs, Saturday, April 16.
According to City Manager Christine Burns, all the groups that signed up showed up, except one that said they would do some picking up at a later date. It was the least amount of volunteers they have had for the cleanup, but it didn’t dampen her spirits.
“Even in the rain we put a pretty good dent in it,” said Burns, who explained that they had an hour of cleanup before the rain started at 11:15 a.m. “It really stung,” she said.
She noted they had a good showing for the E-waste, with a container that was half full.
Burns noted that all costs associated with the event were defrayed through sponsorships, except the cost of the trash bags. Choice One Bank covered the cost of the t-shirts for volunteers and Independent Bank covered the pizza party afterward.  @Home Computers sponsored the E-waste portion of the cleanup. “We couldn’t do this without all of them,” she said.
Whether this event will return next year is up in the air due to possible budget cuts.

By Judy Reed

It’s that time of year again—time to get out and clean up Cedar Creek and the surrounding area!
The City of Cedar Springs will be holding their fourth annual Earth Day cleanup this Saturday, April 16. The day starts at 8 a.m. with E-waste collection behind Cedar Springs city hall. Bring all your electronic waste for disposal such as computers, monitors, keyboards, cell phones, radios, stereos, laptops, VCRs, modems, power cords, etc.
Then meet at 10 a.m. at the trail staging area on W. Maple Street (west off Main) to clean up Cedar Creek. Volunteers report to the staging area to receive their t-shirts and clean-up assignments. The first 100 registered get a free shirt!
After the cleanup, there will be a pizza party at noon the American Legion for the clean up crews, with awards for winners of the logo and photography contests.
There will be a city surplus auction at 1 p.m. Visit the city’s website at www.cityofcedarsprings.org for a list of items, and to download a registration form for the cleanup.
Cedar Creek is one of our greatest assets. Our town, the second village in Kent County, was established along that creek and named for both the springs that flowed from it and the Cedar trees that bordered it. It supports wildlife and flora, and is a key component of the future plans of this city. Our city will only be as beautiful as we make it.

Last year’s cleanup included tree plantings at Veteran’s Park. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

Do you have any old junk computers and monitors lying around?  Would you like to see Cedar Creek clean again? Want a good deal on surplus goods?  What do all of these have in common? They are all part of Cedar Springs’ 4th annual Earth Day 2011 celebration!

The city will hold their Earth Day celebration on April 16, starting at 8 a.m. with E-waste collection behind Cedar Springs city hall. Bring all your electronic waste for disposal such as computers, monitors, keyboards, cell phones, radios, stereos, laptops, VCRs, modems, power cords, etc.

Residents will meet at 10 a.m. at the trail staging area on W. Maple Street (west off Main) to clean up Cedar Creek. Volunteers report to the staging area to receive their t-shirts and clean-up assignments. You don’t have to pre-register to work, but the first 100 registered get a free shirt!

After the cleanup, there will be a pizza party at noon the American Legion for the clean up crews, with awards for winners of the logo and photography contests.

There will be a city surplus auction at 1 p.m. Visit the city’s website at www.cityofcedarsprings.org for a list of items, and to download a registration form for the cleanup.