Main Street Portsmouth spring cleanup is Saturday

Main Street Portsmouth spring cleanup is Saturday

By Mistie Spicer

Scioto Voice Staff Writer

     After a little hiatus the Main Street Portsmouth spring cleanup has returned and will be held this weekend beginning at 11:00 a.m.

     “We used to do these cleanups in the spring and the fall and volunteers dropped off for a little bit, but we have so much interest in the downtown we decided to bring them back, and man we were right the interest has been crazy,” said Joseph Pratt, Main Street Portsmouth Executive Director.

      Pratt said when they decided to bring back the spring cleanup, they estimated they would only get about 30 to 40 volunteers to help. However, the number of volunteers is considerably higher because groups keep calling in saying they want to help. He said people are welcome to show up on Saturday if they want to help. Pratt said there will be two meeting locations on Saturday, one at Market Square and the other on the esplanade.

     “The idea will be to have leaders there that will split up the volunteers that aren’t in groups,” Pratt said. “Groups can get their own designated street and they can just go there once we hand out supplies.”

     Pratt said the groups will be picking up trash, pulling weeds in front of businesses and some groups will be mulching on Second Street and Chillicothe Street.

     “It seems very simple, but it takes our volunteers weeks to get this done. If we can knock this out in one day, that just means we can get the spring and summer flowers out much, much faster,” Pratt said.

     While the volunteers are working on Saturday, Pratt said members of the Friends of Portsmouth organization will also be out painting some of the light poles that need to be touched up.

     Pratt said supplies like trash bags and gloves will be provided by the Lawrence Scioto County Solid Waste District for all those who help on Saturday.