First Litter Patrol is March 29

Northland Area Business Association President Dave Cooper is hoping for a good turnout of volunteers at the first Community Cleanup Day along one of the neighborhood's major corridors.

The first such event of 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, March 29. The litter patrol along East Dublin-Granville Road from the Worthington city limits to Ponderosa Drive lasts from 9 a.m. to noon.

Speaking at the March 11 quarterly meeting of the organization, Cooper said the effort to remove trash and debris from the shoulders and culverts along that stretch of state Route 161 ahead of city mowing crews has been going on for a long time.

"It's been very successful over the years," he said.

That success, however, depends entirely on the number of community members who turn out to help, he added.

Some Northland Community Cleanup Days have produced as few as six bags of trash but the record is 79 bags, Cooper said.

Those interested in participating should report to the Sharon Woods Center, located behind the Jiffy Lube at 1800 E. Dublin-Granville Road, at 9 a.m., according to a flier.

Bags, gloves, safety vests and pickup tools will be provided, courtesy of Keep Columbus Beautiful. Participants should wear brightly colored clothing and sturdy, waterproof footwear for safety.

The inaugural cleanup of the year will coincide with KickButt Columbus, Cooper noted at the NABA meeting. This annual program of Keep Columbus Beautiful involves volunteer groups and organizations removing trash — in particular, cigarette butts — from highway ramps.

The Cleanup Days, which are scheduled every six weeks or so until fall, are presented by the Northland Community Council's landscaping and beautification committee with support from Keep Columbus Beautiful, NABA and the NABA SR-161 Task Force.

For more information or to RSVP for the March 29 event, call Cooper at 614-888-2201 or send an email to cleanupday@mynccc.org.