Green Up Day events throughout the region Andover, Athens, Cavendish, Chester, Grafton, Londonderry Weston & Winhall

By Stacia Spaulding
©2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Although Green Up Day officially takes place on the first Saturday in May, many area residents have gotten a jumpstart on cleaning up the roadsides in their towns. If you would like to help, there are still plenty of opportunities to take part on Saturday, May 7.

This year, the state has challenged all towns to clean every mile of town roads. Last year, about 76 percent of all town roads in the state were cleared of trash; the hope is to surpass that percentage this year.

Remember to stay safe when collecting trash: wear bright colors, bring a friend, watch out for needles and other sharp objects, be Covid-19 cautious and do a tick check.

ANDOVER

As in the past, Andover volunteers are encouraged to rid the roadsides of trash, as well as to give the cemeteries a spring clean-up.

Trash bags will be available on Green-Up Day at the Town Hall, 953 Weston-Andover Road, starting at 9 a.m. To get a head start, volunteers may stop by for bags during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.

Let Andover Green-Up coordinator Deb Moser know which roads are being cleared so that she can keep track for the challenge. Contact her at dmoser6468@gmail.com. Green-Up trash can be placed in the dumpster in front of the town garage at 953 Weston-Andover Road.

ATHENS

In an effort to accommodate more people’s schedules, Green-Up in Athens will run from Saturday, April 30  through Sunday, May 8. Some long-time volunteers are no longer able to help. If you have not participated in Green-Up Day before, your assistance would be appreciated. All volunteers should contact Lynn Morgan at 802-869-2227 or jelpmorgan@yahoo.com.

Routes are assigned to fit each person/group’s energy and time limitations: They can range from your road frontage to a mile-long stretch or more. Every effort is made to assign routes near the volunteer’s home. Green-Up packets will be delivered to each volunteer by April 29. These will include the official Green-Up bags, a description of the road assignment, procedural instructions, safety notes and a tally sheet for information that needs to be reported to the Green-Up organization.

From April 30 to May 7, any Green-Up bags filled with roadside trash should be tied and left well off to the side of the road. The road crew will begin picking them up at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Please take home any bags filled after 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 or on Sunday, May 8 and put them out with your personal trash.

CAVENDISH

Green-Up Day bags are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, 37 High St., during regular business hours, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, bags and gloves will be distributed at Greven Field, 2390 VT Route 103, Proctorsville, and areas to clean will be chosen from a map. Filled bags should be returned to Greven Field, where volunteers can enjoy a post clean-up barbecue until 1 p.m.

If you choose to participate before May 7, please send an e-mail to cavendishrecreation@hotmail.com with information about which roads have been cleaned.

CHESTER

Green-Up Day bags are available at:

• Whiting Library, 117 Main St.
• Chester Hardware Store, 21 Main St.
• Erskine’s Grain & Garden, 54 Grain Store Road
• Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St.
•  Green-Up Day coordinator Frank Kelley at fjmkelley@gmail.com or 802-289-1540.

Please place filled bags in the dumpster at the Town Garage, 144 Town Garage Road. It will be available beginning on Wednesday, May 4.

The Whiting Library’s Green-Up Day celebration includes a seed planting workstation, with all of the supplies and knowledge you need to plant your own sunflower seeds. The community seed library, sponsored by Mountain Valley Climate Action, is also freshly stocked. There is a wide variety of seeds packets available to take home and plant. Feel free to to bring extra seeds from your garden to exchange.

In addition, a selection of books will be outside for sale by donation. Funds raised go toward buying new materials and supplies for the library.

GRAFTON

Green-Up Day bags are available on a table outside of Town Hall, 117 Main St., or inside during regular business hours, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Filled bags can be dropped off at the big truck at Jamie Gregory Trucking & Excavating, the former Town Garage at Route 121 East, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Ice cream will be provided for volunteers. In addition, Grafton residents can enter to win a $100 gift certificate for the 1801 Tavern restaurant at the Grafton Inn.

LONDONDERRY

The South Londonderry Fire Department is helping to organize Green-Up Day again this year. Contact Rich Phela at 802-289-7859 if you need bags.

WESTON

Volunteers can pick up bags at the Town Clerk’s office, 12 Lawrence Hill Road, during regular business hours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,  Monday through Friday.

More than 30 volunteers are helping to clean up Weston’s roads. Almost all have been covered, including the stretch of Route 100 and Route 155 going up the hill. Most helpers are doing their assignments before or after the official Green-Up Day. A town truck will be parked next to the Green on Saturday, May 7  to collect bags that people wish to drop off. Official Green-Up Day bags also may be left at the Transfer Station at 7060 VT Route 100 in Londonderry during regular hours, which are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily but closed Wednesdays and Sundays.

A celebratory event, including hors d’oeuvres and libations, will be held on the Green in June to thank volunteers for their efforts. Six event T-shirts will be given to participants whose names will be drawn from a hat.

WINHALL

The Winhall Fire Department, 107 VT Route 30, will be open for tours from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday, May 7. Pick up bags, sign up for a street and enjoy some coffee and snacks.

The Winhall Library, 2 Lower Taylor Hill Road, Bondville, is hosting a barbecue lunch from noon until 2 p.m. Join Virginia the librarian and the Police Department for some refreshments and pick up a special Arbor Day goodie bag.

To round out the fun, ice cream and crafts will be available at the Winhall Community Arts Center, 3 River Road, Bondville, between 1 and 4 p.m.