Residents are urged to take initiative in keeping their communities clean and by extension help protect the environment.
On a recent edition of Talking Trash, the official radio program of the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) on WINN FM 98.9, Operations Manager Mr. Wilmon McCall publicly encouraged and lauded a resident of Newtown he identified as “Mr. James” who led a cleanup initiative in the community with support from the SWMC.
“He has dedicated himself to cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of the Newtown area. He has worked alongside Mr. Bridgewater and myself. We have assisted with bins and other things to keep this going but with the challenge to our trucks now it has put a little dent in our efforts,” Mr. McCall said. “We are hoping that there are other persons who could donate a bin if you run a bin service and you could say Mr. James here is a bin, I could loan you that for a day or two.”
According to Mr. McCall, other members of the community can take similar initiatives. “We want to encourage persons in other communities to take an interest in the cleanliness of your community,” McCall added.
Meanwhile, the Newtown resident, on the program called for action to be taken regarding the empty lots in his community and other areas on the island. He said that there is an abandoned plot of land in the community that is being used as a dumpsite.
“Once persons realize that there is a site that is abandoned, persons will want to use it as a dumpsite,” he said. “I have persons who met me and told me that they like my effort and once they see anything they will let me know,” he added. He also disclosed that he has a group of persons that helps him to clean the storm drains in the community on a regular basis.
He also called for the Environmental Health Department to send a strong message to those who break laws pertaining to litter and waste disposal.
“They are a little bit too timid within their authority…they need to send a strong, strong message to persons who are violating our law,” the Newtown resident said.