May 2, 2016 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Mayor Duncan Berryman hopes to find enough residents who care about the community to volunteer Saturday morning with the first boroughwide cleanup.

He and borough administrators have organized what Berryman is calling the “Waynesburg Trash Bash,” an effort to clean up litter throughout the borough. The event will coincide with the borough’s regular spring cleanup days.

“It’s the first year so I don’t know how it’s going to work out,” Berryman said.

“But it’s an open weekend and people should be around and we hope they will come out to help.”

Berryman said he has heard from several people who intend to participate in the cleanup. While planning the event, he said, he also met with the Waynesburg Merchants Guild and they are on board.

“They were more than happy to participate,” Berryman said. Some have agreed to offer same day discounts to trash bash participants.

The event will start at 10 a.m. Groups will meet at three locations where they will be provided with safety vests, goggles, gloves and garbage bags.

In Ward I, participants will meet at the Gazebo in Ritchie Park; in Ward II, in the Community Bank parking lot on Washington Street; and in Ward III, in the parking lot at McCracken Pharmacy at High and Porter streets.

Litter is a problem throughout the borough, Berryman said. Normally, it’s not too bad in the downtown area, but along many of the alleys it is a problem, Berryman said. He said he also knows a few “key spots” he hopes to address Saturday.

“We hope people will come out and help beautify our community,” he said. If everything goes well, Berryman said, he would like to see the trash bash become an annual event.

The bash will coincide with the borough’s regular spring cleanup, which will run Thursday through Saturday.

Residents can bring unwanted items to the street department building on First Street from 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday.

This year, the borough will accept tires. There will be a $2 fee for each regular tire and a $3 fee for each light truck tire. The borough will not accept electronics, paint and hazardous materials. Items with Freon must be tagged indicating the gas was removed.

The borough also will pick up items at a resident’s home for $25 for half a truck load and $50 for a full truck load. For pick-up service residents should call the borough office at 724-627-8111.