When severe storms washed out the Ward 3 community cleanup earlier this month, organizers and volunteers regrouped and rescheduled.
April 14 was the original date for the third annual cleanup. Alderman Kensel Spivey, who represents Ward 3 along with Alderman Willie McGhee, said the event has been reset for May 12.
Spivey said the date of the event has been changed, but other details remain the same. The cleanup will be held from 9 a.m. until noon, with lunch following immediately at Mattocks Park, Detroit and Sharp.
For the third consecutive year, Spivey and McGhee are teaming up with Clean Harbors to coordinate the event.
Clean Harbors is offering monetary awards to youth athletic teams and other groups who participate in the cleanup.
The presentation is part of an effort to encourage the city’s other three wards to coordinate community cleanups this year.
The industry has committed to a $3,000 incentive. The money will be divided among youth athletic teams and other groups who volunteer for the cleanups.
Ward 4 aldermen Mary McAdams and Dianne Hammond have said their ward will coordinate the second cleanup of the year. Planning is under way for the event, which may be held in the fall.
For the Ward 3 cleanup, checkpoints will be set up throughout the city’s largest ward.
Volunteers will gather at their desired checkpoints to pick up supplies and receive a briefing on the day’s activities, including which streets they will be cleaning for the day.
Keep El Dorado Beautiful is lending its support by agreeing to man one of nine checkpoints.
The event will be part of the Great American Cleanup, which is held between March 1 and May 31 each year.
Launched by Keep America Beautiful, the Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest annual community improvement effort, with local affiliates, including Keep El Dorado Beautiful, organizing beautification and recycling events in public spaces.
Volunteer hours and other information about the Ward 3 cleanup may be sent to Keep Arkansas Beautiful.
The information is recorded and it assists Keep El Dorado Beautiful with certification and grant applications with its state and national parent organizations.
Spivey said volunteers, including several youth baseball and basketball teams, who had committed to the April 14 date have all said they still plan to participate next month.
While having to postpone the cleanup was disappointing, it allows time for more volunteers to come forth, she said.
The event is open to the public. Residents and businesses in Ward 3 are especially encouraged to participate. Over the past two years, the cleanups have drawn up to 300 volunteers.
Checkpoints and corresponding streets to be cleaned are:
- St. James Village Outreach Facility, 1308 E. Hillsboro:
• Martin Luther King.
• Short East Hillsboro.
• Burnside.
• East Burnside.
• Pelham.
• Van.
- Old Pine Tree Hotel lot, East Hillsboro and Oliver:
• Cherry.
• Van.
• Apple.
• Plum.
• Cargile.
• East Second.
• Kearing.
• Park.
- Starlight Baptist Church, 1406 Detroit:
• Roosevelt.
• New York.
• California.
• Detroit.
• East Beech.
• Neal.
• Louisiana.
- Murmil Heights Educational Center, 2000 Ripley:
• Marilynn.
• Lakeland.
• Oxford.
• Nevada.
• Gaines.
• Cherokee.
• Ripley.
- Marrable Hill Chapel, 110 Chapel:
• Marrable Hill.
• Lilac.
• Memory Lane.
• Julia.
• Georgia.
• Charles.
• Ivy.
• Beacon Hill.
• Pacific.
• Paxton.
- Mattocks Park/Bouldware Temple and Revival Center Church of God in Christ, 1521 Detroit/ Mattocks Park:
• East Burns.
• Blackard.
• Burns.
• Beech.
• Mattocks Lane.
- St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 1018 Wilson:
• Hawthorne.
• Bruster.
• Barnes.
• Cook.
• Wilson.
• Norsworthy.
• Louisiana.
• Neal.
- Old Southside School grounds/Community Church of God in Christ, 1207 Ross.
• East Spring.
• Texas.
• Craig.
• East Avenue.
• Ross
• East Pecan.
- Laneys Collision Center, 916 E. Hillsboro:
• East Block.
• East Miles.
• South Madison.
• South Smith.
• Ramsey.
• East Cedar.
• South Lee.
For more information or to volunteer, call Spivey at 870-918-7674, McGhee at 870-314-1441 or Tony Henry at 870-866-7630.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.