Every Spring brings with it the powerful chinook winds that fill main street with tumbleweeds and knock out the power on occasion. Another consequence of the Spring windstorms is trash blowing from the dump and onto the highway. For members of our community that live on the highway across from the dump, this means tons of cleaning. Betty Jo Chauvet recently drew attention to the matter with a Facebook post exclaiming that she had just spent two hours cleaning the ditches in front of her property. I spoke with her, and she explained that her ditches start down by the Quonset huts on the north side of town. "I just clean along what I call 'my highway front' instead of a 'beach front.' And in all honesty, I think much of it does come from the dump, flying over. I think more than anything, a lot of it is passers-by just littering, which is unfortunate." She did comment that the problem had gotten better since the town erected the fence around the dump, which catches quite a bit of the garbage that would otherwise find its way into town. Clete Ophus, whose property has its own 'highway front' view, experiences the same excess of garbage and also puts in hours every week cleaning along the roadside. He brought the situation to the attention of the City Council last week. "The wind has been abnormally frequent, large and annoying this year. It keeps blowing stuff out of the dumpsters, which seem like they're always full. We're picking up road trash, and it's coming into the entrance into your town. It looks like crap." Clete commented that the some of the trash is road litter, but added that this year, the trash accumulation is worse than it has ever been before.
Some of the solution for the problem of litter along the highways and roads of our community involves management of the dump, but Betty Jo pointed out that a large part is up to individuals: "It's unfortunate that the trash still blows out, and it's an eyesore for people coming into our community. When I go clean the ditches, I consider it kind of just part of keeping our little part of the world beautiful." The work is a never-ending effort. About the time Betty Joe finishes up her latest round of cleaning, another gust of wind drags more litter out. Members of the community can help lighten the load and express their pride in the community by joining the effort. Simply collecting litter while out walking or choosing a half an hour a week to help collect trash around town would make a real impact if enough locals took it on. A couple of weeks ago, FE Miley Students went out on Earth Day to clean the community. This is the sort of thing that can instill civic pride in our children. Clete pointed out that local community service, either for volunteer work or punishment, could easily help keep the issue
tamped down and beautify our town. Even a stop at the dump to drop off our own household trash is an opportunity to take a few minutes to walk the fence and collect loose wrappers and cups that have made their way out of the dumpsters before they find their way onto Clete and Mary Jo's lawns.
Rich Jesperson, who is on the City Council, explained that the council wants to avoid reaching a point where they are paying someone to watch the site. They will be looking at getting another dumpster added in an effort to keep the total trash level lower, making it more difficult for the wind to move the lighter weight garbage. In addition, the council will be putting effort forward to remind residents to bag their trash, in order to keep it from being scattered by the gusting Montana winds.
