The bitingly cold wind did not deter volunteers from showing up on Saturday for the biannual Boone Clean-Up Day.
This event, which is held every year in both the spring and fall, kicks off the two-week “Litter Sweep” period where community members are encouraged to pick up litter and debris.
Volunteers were invited to visit the Public Works Department to get assigned a location to clean, as well as safety vests and trash pickers.
According to the Town of Boone website, the Public Works Department operates and maintains Boone’s infrastructure, including road repair, snow removal, recycling and composting.
“This year’s a little different,” read a post on the Town of Boone Instagram. “Following Hurricane Helene, Boone has definitely changed. During Helene, we watched as our Boone community came together to help neighbors in a time of crisis, and we want to continue to show the world our community’s resilient spirit.”
Tina Houston, a local business owner, volunteered and said she usually does a neighbourhood cleanup in Zionville. She also said things were different after Helene.
“We just really have to focus on all the neighborhoods. Doesn’t matter where you live, you know? It’s all kind of trashed in ways, getting better in ways, but still pretty wrecked,” she said.
Another volunteer, Jim Street, owner of Ridgeline Leadership, said he could tell what trash was from the hurricane and what was litter from cars.
“When it’s concentrated like this, you can tell it got swept away and caught. This probably isn’t from the cars,” Street said.
Littered along the side of Highway 421 were wrappers, cups, cans, bottles, cardboard, cigarette butts and more.
Lane Moody, Boone’s downtown development coordinator, climbed halfway up a tree to grab a plastic grocery bag wrapped around one of the branches. Multiple grocery bags on the side of the road had gotten caught on trees, bushes and briars.
According to Sustainability and Special Projects Manager George Santucci, the town isn’t allowed to impose any bans on single-use plastics.
“We couldn’t even if we wanted to,” Santucci said. “I think it was in the 2023 budget that the state legislature had a provision that local governments couldn’t do it.”
This provision limiting “auxiliary containers” was codified in the 2023 state budget.
Although Boone Clean-Up Day ended at 1 p.m. Saturday, the Spring Litter Sweep will last until April 26.
Jenny Koehn, App State’s associate director of student programs, said it’s an easy way to serve the community.
“Anytime that a group or an individual wants to do one, the Town of Boone will give you all the supplies,” she said. “It’s really easy, you can get a lot done in two hours.”
Materials to pick up litter are available at the Boone Public Works Department at 321 E. King St. Their office can be contacted at 828-268-6230.
