HADLEY — Volunteers will remove trash and debris from the edge of streets, along trails and near rivers, streams and ponds on Saturday as part of the third annual cleanup day.
The Hadley Climate Change Committee is sponsoring the event, with people fanning out to various locations from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Participants, signing up in advance, will begin their day at the east side of the Home Depot parking lot, at the corner of North Maple Street and Route 9, to share supplies, including trash bags and gloves, before heading out to designated locations.
Committee Chairman Jack Czajkowski told the committee at a recent meeting that anyone is welcome to help out, though signing up in advance is necessary so Solid Waste Solutions, which runs the town’s transfer station, can offer free dropoffs for what is picked up. Last year, Czajkowski said a number of tires were collected as part of more than 1,000 pounds of garbage.
Those who register will be able to bring the trash to the Cemetery Road site, whether or not their vehicle has a transfer station sticker. Trash from the cleanup can be brought until 3 p.m. People are advised to wear bright clothes and stay out of the roads. To register, go to tinyurl.com/Springcleanupday2023.
The cleanup comes as the Climate Change Committee works with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission on getting a Green Communities application into the state’s Department of Energy Resources by March 31.
“We do want to get it in for the March 31 deadline, and not go another six months,” Czajkowski said.
PVPC Senior Planner Mimi Kaplan told the Select Board recently that she is writing an energy reduction plan that would help the town reduce energy usage and costs over time.
— Scott Merzbach