SOUTH POINT – Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the scent of freshly-cut grass is in the air.

Monday, April 24, 2000

SOUTH POINT – Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the scent of freshly-cut grass is in the air.

It’s definitely that time of year again –  time for the annual South Point Village Cleanup, Mayor Bill Gaskin said.

"We’ve been having this type of cleanup for 17 or 18 years now –  a long time," Gaskin said."It’s a service we’ve been providing for the residents for as long as I can remember, really."

Beginning today and running through the end of the week, extra bags or items of refuse on the curb will be removed by the village’s refuse collection service, allowing residents an opportunity to get some spring cleaning done without worrying about the extra garbage bags that might result.

The service is similar to those offered twice annually by the City of Ironton, Gaskin explained.

"We allow the residents to set out extra garbage and refuse during this time," he said. "It doesn’t really matter what they set out, really. We’ll come along and pick it up."

Residents also do not need to worry about remembering a different pickup day or schedule for the village-wide cleanup service, Gaskin added.

"It’s all going to be on the residents’ regular pickup day," he said. "We ask that they set the extras out by the curb just like they would do normally and then it will be taken away for them."

Although the Village of South Point uses BFI collection services, any additional costs incurred by the extra pickups will be covered by the village.

"The residents don’t see any raise of rates and it doesn’t cost anything extra for them," Gaskin explained. "This is basically free for the residents."

As with most cleanup efforts, the service is offered as an opportunity to better the village, one house at a time, he said.

The effort encourages property cleanup and maintenance and gets the village into shape for the summer, when special events and vacations can bring visitors into town. A clean, well-presented village is always best, and, if the administration can encourage that, then it will continue to do so, Gaskin said.

For more information on the schedule or allowable items, call the village administrative building at 377-4838.