Residents urged to cache trash

Havre Pride organizer Kim Cripps said she has heard from many volunteers for Saturday's cleanup of the city, but more are always needed.

"I'm excited. It's going to be great weather. People can come and have breakfast and come clean Havre," she said Thursday.

The twice-a-year event, sponsored by the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, asks people to come out and pick up trash in the community.

Cripps said she wants to concentrate on the east edge of Havre this year to give people coming into town a good impression as they arrive. But, she said, other places also need work.

"If somebody sees an area that needs cleaning, let me know and we will get someone over there," she said.

People participating are invited to a breakfast at the Havre Fire Department from 8 to 9 a.m. They can then pick up trash bags at one of four locations, fill the bag with trash and return it to one of the dump sites.

People will receive a coupon from local restaurants for every bag of trash they return.

Cripps said several groups have committed to volunteering, including the Anchor Boys Academy, the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, and groups from the public schools, the university and the hospital.

"I've had a lot of calls and it's great. It's a good feeling," she said.

The more people who help with the cleanup, the better, she added.

"There's so much trash," she said.

People need to be sure to dress appropriately, with good shoes and work gloves.

Cripps said she will need people who can supervise youths who are working off community service sentences and to staff the dump sites from 11 a.m. to noon, collecting the trash brought in and handing out trash bags.

The teams will be assigned to work areas after the breakfast. Assignments also will be given at the dump sites once a team has completed an area.

The youth diversion kids will get their assignments at Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.

The four dump sites are the Havre Fire Department, Sixth Avenue field, the Havre Food Bank in North Havre and the Highland Park Noon's.

Cripps said people who know of areas that need a lot of cleaning, or have heavy items like water heaters that they would have trouble taking to the dump, can call her at Havre Montana Realty at 265-4353, on her cell phone at 265-0905, or at home at 265-5998.