America 250 celebrated with community cleanup
BY JOHN BRICE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Local residents volunteered for an America 250 Community Cleanup initiative in downtown LaFayette on Saturday, June 26. As America celebrates its 250th birthday, citizens in Chambers County are finding unique ways to mark the occasion with a variety of special events such as this cleanup. City Council Member for District D Charlene Story shared details of the neighborhood renewal effort in LaFayette.
"We received an America 250 grant," she said. "That grant allowed us to do a community cleanup. With that community cleanup we were able to purchase the supplies that we needed to be able to make this community cleanup possible. We got all of the supplies that we needed, sent out the flyers and we got volunteers in this morning. We got to work at 7 a.m. and just started picking up trash and debris and whatever we saw that needed to be picked up, we picked it up."
Story shared her vision for how cleanup events can play an important part in moving LaFayette forward.
"This is a new project for the city of LaFayette. A lot of people think that we have a public works department and that it stops there but it does not stop there. It starts and stops with the citizens of LaFayette. This project was the first of many. I would like to be able to do this twice a year. Once I leave my seat of council, I still want to do this community cleanup. I feel like it is going to be so beneficial to the city of LaFayette. We have a small community, but a small community is very impactful. When people throw trash out of their vehicles, someone has to pick it up. It is either going to be public works or it is going to be a random citizen just picking it up. So why not just have a semi-annual cleanup day. That is what I plan on doing."
Story explained how the funding grant was applied for and received to make her idea a reality.
"I became aware of it at our League of Municipalities convention in Montgomery," she said. "When we went to that convention they had a table set up. The representative at the table was like, 'You know, nobody in Chambers County has signed up for the America 250 grant.' I emailed City Clerk Davidson to ask him had we partaken in it, and he told me that we had not so I wrote the grant, and we got approved for it."
Another aspect of the efforts being made possible by the grant is a student essay contest recognizing this momentous milestone in American history.
"Not only are we doing a community cleanup with the grant, we are also doing an essay contest," Story said. "We are seeking our elementary, middle school and high school students to write an essay about what America means to them. It is going to allow us to showcase our youth perspective of what America means to them."
Story said she sees the cleanup event aligning with the spirit of the America 250 celebration.
"America means citizens. The citizens are what make up America," she said. "There are different citizens doing different celebrations. Since we are so small, and we have only got $2,500 it was not much we could do with that. I wanted to do a fireworks show, but it turns out a fireworks show costs about $10,000 or more. I feel like when we engage our community it gives them a sense of pride for America because they are going into their community and showcasing their support of America by doing something impactful in their community. That is how I feel like it aligns with America 250."
