Residents pitch in to beautify Maricopa Road

The Arizona Adopt a Highway program, which began in 1988, currently includes more than 1,750 participating volunteer groups, and saves state taxpayers approximately 1.8 million dollars each year in highway litter removal costs.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) web site, “The Adopt a Highway Program offers several benefits to Arizona cities and communities. It provides a clean environment, gives civic pride to the community, serves as a reminder not to litter, and saves taxpayers money.”

inmaricopa.com publisher, Scott Bartle provides directions and safety information to the group of volunteers for Saturday’s cleanup.

Leah Osborne, Theresa Farley and daughter Danielle collected several bags of trash.

Maricopa’s daily news and information source, inmaricopa.com, is one of the volunteer groups participating in the Adopt a Highway program. Over the weekend inmaricopa.com hosted one of its regular highway cleanups on SR 347.

The 16 individuals who came out in support of the cleanup effort made quick work of the mile long stretch immediately south of Riggs Road. The group began working around 9:00 a.m. and was finished by 11:30 a.m., collecting nearly 60 bags of trash.

“This was actually a really fun way to participate in the community and help to clean up our roads,” said inmaricopa.com Open Forum member Leah Osborne.

After the cleanup the dusty volunteer crew was treated to lunch at On the Go Bistro where they compared notes on who found what on the side of the road.

“Theresa Farley, a.k.a. Java Lover, volunteered to help us beautify the highway and recruited many other Open Forum users to participate,” inmaricopa.com’s Scott Bartle said. “It was a great excuse to enjoy a beautiful day, meet many neighbors and do something good for the community. It was truly a great day.”

“It’s a great feeling, knowing that you’ve taken part in something like this,” stated Rebecca Molus, a member of the City of Maricopa Public Works Committee. “If all of us just helped a little bit, we could do so much more!”

Danielle Farley and Mayor Kelly Anderson help clean up the southbound side of SR347.

The cleanup crew from left to right (back row) Travis Andersen, Matthew Molus, Andrea Ashley, Leah Osborne, Mark Molus, Rebecca Molus, Esther Gerard, Jim Gerard; (front row) Ryan Cesky, Carolyn Struble, Danielle Farley, Theresa Farley, Mark Gerdes, Mayor Kelly Anderson, Mike Kosiba. Not pictured: Scott Bartle.

The tired and dirty crew retired to On the Go Bistro for a relaxing post-cleanup lunch.

For the next event, inmaricopa.com plans to coordinate with other groups who sponsor sections of SR 347. The goal is to get as much of the highway from Riggs Road into Maricopa cleaned up at one time. “The more people that participate, the more we can get done,” says Molus, who volunteered to organize the next event.

Volunteer groups who participate in the Adopt a Highway program agree to a two-year commitment, collecting litter along a designated stretch of road two times each year. The goal of inmaricopa.com is to organize similar events each quarter.

For more information on the Adopt a Highway program, visit the ADOT web site.