- July 26, 2024
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A local group of people are taking litter cleanup along Clyde Morris Boulevard a step further by adopting a mile-long stretch of the roadway.
The Our Lady of Hope Knights of Columbus, Star Council 8086 of Port Orange, have been working to keep the community clean through various projects and the road adoption is the latest in this beautification initiative. About four or five times each year, a team of knights fill multiple bags of debris that people have discarded along the roadside, according to Knights Spokesperson Ted Morrel.
"Street litter is an ongoing problem and the only way to deal with it is to pick up after careless people," Morrel said. "People are who they are and we can beg, fine, place ads to clean our earth, but if they want to throw things out their car windows, no one is going to stop them."
Morrel said it is rare that he goes a day without seeing people littering, adding that it is a reflection on the community. Additionally Clyde Morris is near the Knights' parish, Our Lady of Hope, a fact that Morrel said only emphasizes the need to keep that area clean.
According to Morrel, the Knights have been maintaining this area for around five years. Roger Packard, the project head for this service, will send out a request for a cleanup crew from the parish's members when he sees that litter has accumulated in the area. This usually consists of five to 10 volunteers who meet at 8 a.m. and methodically cleaning both sides of the roadway.
Many large bags are gathered before being returned to the parish dumpster for disposal. Morrel said they will continue this for as long as they exist. What has also helped is having a large council membership of more than 300, with close to 100 men actively participating in these projects.
"One of our organization's goals is community service and we are actively involved in many," Morrel said.
