By WESLIE STRATTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa residents gathered Saturday morning to participate in a roadside cleanup of State Highway 168 from the Interstate 15 interchange to the Moapa Fire Station. From older couples to teen-aged young men, a group of more than 25 people gathered to pick up trash and pulled weeds along the shoulders of Moapa main road throughout the morning.
Moapa Town Advisory Board chairman Tim Watkins said that the board is hoping to make this an annual event. He credited the people of the Moapa community with wanting to do something to improve the area.
“To improve the appearance but (also) to get together and do something together,” he said, stating that there was a sense of camaraderie among those who put forth the effort to participate in the cleanup alongside their neighbors.
A group of teen boys from the LDS Moapa Ward worked hard pulling weeds away from fence lines to be disposed of. While each pulled their own weight they were in agreement that their fathers were a major factor in their participation.
Logandale resident and Moapa Valley Revitalization Project president Mary Kaye Washburn participated in the clean up of her own free will and choice.
“It means pride in the community,” she said.
Though Washburn resides in the lower valley, she said that she considers Moapa as part of the greater Moapa Valley community that is her home. She said that she wished to do her part in improving it’s appearance.
“It’s contagious!” she said of community pride. “It’s participation and a sense of belonging. MVRP really represents the entire area. We’re all in this together.”
Local resident Glen Harper participated in the clean up for simpler reasons.
“I’m just a garbage man,” he said with a smile as he picked up trash alongside the road.
Regardless of the incentive, the group made visible improvements to the targeted stretch of road with the help of MTAB vice chair Ryan Udall behind the wheel of a skid steer.
The community was assisted in the effort by Republic Services bringing a dumpster and parking it near the Moapa Community Center in preparation for the cleanup. The staff in Commissioner Tom Collins helped to facilitate that taking place.
