DaytonDailyNews.com

VANDALIA — Litterbugs, it's time to clean up your act.

The city has designated Friday, May 9, as the Great Vandalia Clean-Up and is urging residents and businesses to help keep the city clean. Throughout the day, groups will make a coordinated effort to clean up trash and debris on some of the city's busiest corridors.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will clean up the portion of Interstate 75 that runs through Vandalia, and nonviolent offenders sentenced to community service through the Montgomery County Courts will clean up a portion of Webster Street and Poe Avenue. City employees will tackle National Road, from Brown School Road to Peters Pike, and North Dixie Drive from Inverness Avenue to Alkaline Springs Road.

"Essentially we are picking up any trash, any litter and any debris that we might find," said Vandalia Communications Manager Rich Hopkins.

City staff is inviting the community to join them in keeping Vandalia beautiful.

"We are hoping to inspire neighbors to work within their neighborhoods to get the city looking really good as we head into spring and summer," Hopkins said.

A call also was put out, along with trash bags, to local businesses along National Road and Dixie Drive asking businesses to clean up any litter from their sites. Throughout the day, the service department will pick up bags of trash.

"This is something we used to do in Vandalia and a lot of people liked it. They liked taking a few hours early in the day to do something that makes the city look better and makes them feel good," Hopkins said.

The Great Vandalia Clean-Up is part of the countywide participation in the Great American Clean-up, which runs through May 31. The Montgomery County Solid Waste District coordinates the effort for the county and provides supplies and assistance to participating communities, neighborhood associations and civic groups.

"Last year we had over 5,500 volunteers from March 1 through May 31, and we're hoping we get more this year," said Jane Tomcisin, community program specialist with the Montgomery County Solid Waste District.

In June, the MCSWD will sponsor a Dayton Dragon's Litter Free Day to thank volunteers who participate in the cleanup efforts. The event, held at the Dayton Dragons field, includes free food, games and a chance to win Dayton Dragons tickets.

Volunteers who want to participate in any county Great American Cleanup event, including Vandalia's, can register online at www.mcswd.org.

Vote for this story!