Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful holds cleanup

By DAVID J. HARDIN
Cove Leader-Press

A total of 36 volunteers gathered on Saturday morning at the Copperas Cove Public Library parking lot before heading out for a litter cleanup litter on Business 190. 
The cleanup was held by the Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful Commission. 
KCCB Executive Director Silvia Rhoads distributed gloves, trash bags, and gave a safety briefing before beginning the cleanup, which lasted from 10:00 until about 11:30 a.m.
The target area for Saturday’s cleanup was from the intersection of Robert Griffin III Boulevard to Constitution Avenue and across from Wal-Mart, on a long stretch of grass where trash can accumulate. 
“It is important for people entering Copperas Cove from that direction to be a given a great first impression of our city, and a clean one,” said Mayor Frank Seffrood, who also volunteered on Saturday. “It is great to see so many people out here helping.”
Silvia Rhoads talked about the cleanups that KCCB hosts all year long.
“Every year we try and have two roadway cleanups, and one or two waterway cleanups. We do the ‘Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off’, which happens every April. Most of our cleanups occur during the springtime, but several groups asked us if we could have more during the fall. 
“It does not matter if we have 20 people or 100 people volunteering their time, the before and after cleanup pictures are amazing because of how much cleaner it is,” KCCB president Adam Wolf said. 
Meredith Irwin is a student council sponsor at Williams Ledger Elementary School. 
“We brought out the members of the student council to help support this cause, because we made it one of our service projects.”
Lelani Wilson and her son Silas came out to help with the cleanup, and members of Silas’s Cub Scout troop also joined them.  
“This is the first city in which Silas has spent a long time in, and he is pretty active and involved in the community,” said Wilson., 
Chris Altott, his wife Mariela, and his daughter, Isabella, came out to help with the cleanup. Chris and Mariela both work for the City of Copperas Cove.
“It is good to show our daughter that you can help out locally, and help your neighbors, and it is important to make sure that our roads remain clean,” Mariela said.
Isabella is 11 years old and in sixth grade. She said that “it feels good to help our community, and make it prettier and better.”
The volunteers collected 240 pounds of trash. 
Next up for KCCB will be judging the holiday light decorating contest on Friday evening, and awarding the winners next week.