COAL GROVE - Flowers are blooming and April showers are here, so it must be time for the annual spring cleanup in Coal Grove.

Designed to encourage residents to beautify the village, the program began Monday and will continue until April 19, except for Sunday. Residents can deposit trash in dumpsters at the village's water treatment plant on Riverside Drive from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"To me, it is a matter of community pride," Mayor Tom McKnight said. "Needless to say, cleanliness and the perception people get when they visit Coal Grove is important."

McKnight said "almost anything unsightly" will be accepted, including wood, construction waste, garbage and junk. However, tires, gas tanks, refrigerators or air conditioners are not permitted.

"It is mostly people cleaning out their basements and garages," Councilman

Kenneth Pyles said.

The program began in the late 1970s and was originally only offered for one week in the spring. Because of the support of council and the response from citizens, it was expanded to the fall in 2001 and from one week to two. But, this year's program will be a bit different, he said.

"The village employees will be more involved this year," McKnight said. "They will go to some problem areas and will continue to help the elderly."

Village employees will focus their efforts on parts of Higgins and Lane streets and many of the alleys in the village, he said.

"Before, we just relied on people to bring stuff in," he said. "Some people were not taking advantage of the opportunity."

Among the biggest problems the village faces are too many residents placing their garbage in bags instead of 30-gallon trash cans, and using wooden containers that stop dogs and cats from getting into the trash, but do not discourage rats and mice, McKnight said.

"We need to have a clean town," he said. "We are just going to try our level best this year to clean up our town and keep it that way."

For more information, call 532-7447 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.