September 4, 2007

“Catawba County has a long history of beautification programs and efforts to remove trash from roadways,” said Amanda Kain, Catawba County’s Waste Reduction Coordinator and Educator. “We have received grants from the State in the past which we have used to pay for the clean-up of discarded tires and roadside debris. We're an active participant in the State’s Adopt-A-Highway program, and we contract with the Community Service Program of the North Carolina Department of Corrections to help with collection of roadside litter. Despite our strong effort to keep roadsides clean, there are still those who fail to respect the beauty of our county.”

The special orange and blue bags are currently available at the Catawba County Utilities and Engineering Office on the second floor of the Government Center in Newton; at the Cooperative Extension Office off Highway 321 Business in South Newton; at the North Carolina Department of Transportation's County Maintenance Office at 1302 Prison Camp Road between Newton and Maiden; and at Garbage Disposal Service's office at 4062 Section House Road in Hickory.

Everyone who brings the special orange and blue bags to any of the County's five convenience centers will be able to dispose of the trash free of charge during Litter Sweep Weeks. Citizens may also call the North Carolina Department of Transportation's county maintenance office at 828-466-5519 to arrange for someone to come and pick up orange bags only. Citizens will be responsible for properly disposing of the recyclable materials in blue bags.

The County’s five Convenience Centers are located at the Blackburn Landfill entrance, on Rocky Ford Road off Highway 10 west of Newton; on Lookout Dam Road in the Oxford Community; on Sherrills Ford Road; at the old Newton Landfill on Bethany Church Road; and in the Cooksville community on Rhoney Farm Road. The Blackburn center is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The Cooksville Center is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The Newton Center is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The Oxford and Sherrills Ford Centers operate from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

“We urge Catawba County citizens to come by, pick up orange and blue bags, and help us sweep Catawba County and North Carolina clean of roadside litter,” Kain said.

For more information on Catawba County’s Litter Sweep Weeks, or the special orange and blue bags you may use to dispose of trash free of charge, you may call the Catawba County Waste Reduction Office at 828-465-8217.