It’s been pretty much on-the-job training for new Keep Pike County Beautiful executive director Kayla Roberts.
Since taking over the post in February, Roberts has seen the organization’s needs in combating litter throughout the area.
Roberts said the job is a daunting task — more than a ton of trash was picked up during last year’s pickup campaign,
“I like it, but I’m still learning,” Roberts said of her job. “It’s a lot more to it than I thought. I’m still amazed by how much they actually do.”
Roberts is joined at Keep Pike County Beautiful by 12 board members and a host of volunteers. Board officers include president Virginia Goza, vice president Deborah Price, treasurer Vickie Webb, secretary Mary Reagan, litter coordinator Barbara Mercier and past president Libba Alford.
“I think Kayla hasn’t had time to catch her breath. She came on board at the busiest time of the year for us,” Webb said. “We’re juggling a lot of balls and trying to keep them in the air.”
But there’s no slowing down for Roberts and her crew. Keep Pike County Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup is April 28. It marks the local organization’s 10th year of affiliation with Keep America Beautiful.
McComb cleanup registration will be in the Sears parking lot in Edgewood Mall from 8 a.m. until noon. Participants will receive trash bags and pick up registration forms.
Registration in Magnolia at the Community Center is at the same time.
Webb said well over 100 people on various teams participated in the 2011 Cleanup. The date for KPCB’s 2012 Cleanup was changed in order for Roberts to get more comfortable. The Cleanup was normally in March.
Webb said the Cleanup only begins on April 28, but runs through the entire month of May.
“April 28 is only the kickoff. We need people to register since we’re an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, we have to monitor registration forms and wrap up report cards required of affiliation,” Webb said.
Webb said young people are the major part of the cleanups.
“Youth groups are generally the ones who are doing it,” Webb said. “I think it is important youth be involved picking up trash along the roads because it indicates how we feel about our community. If you’ve got trashy roads, then that means you don’t care much about your community. Once young people start picking up trash, they’re less hesitant to throw it out.”
According to a report earlier this year from Washington, D.C. consultant Steve Spacek, the Pike County area is among the trashiest in the country. His 2011 litter index had Mississippi tied for third in the nation with Nevada.
“Based on that litter index, we know where the trashiest places in the county are,” Webb said. “Keeping a litter index is another requirement by Keep America Beautiful. When you get to badly littered spots, it doesn’t take long to fill up a trash bag.”
Webb said maintaining trashfree roads should be a year-round practice.
“We need teams to go out and pick up trash throughout the year, not just during the Great American Pickup,” Webb said. “That trash makes a real bad statement about our community. We can’t get to the beautification part because of the litter problem.”
Roberts said she has some ideas she would like to see implemented as executive director.
“I would like to see a certain number of people form a crisis team, which is willing to report back to where all the bad trash is,” Roberts said. “I also think we need some fundraisers to have more money for beautification so we can do education awareness.”
