||| FROM WILLIAM THOMPSON (AKA THE ROAD GUY) |||

I’ve been removing litter from Orcas roads on pretty much a daily basis for twenty years.   It’s my way of honoring the privilege of living on this amazing island. My priority has been Orcas Rd. between the Landing and Eastsound.  Noticeable litter I try to make vanish within days (Public Works handles the large items). 

For one day in the spring and one day in the fall the Island wide Cleanup provides a needed scouring, yet, as usual, litter returns the next day.  Over those twenty years I’ve likely removed 2,500 to 3,000 bags of litter. Early on I successfully pushed to end the Public Works policy of mowing away litter, which included full bags, bags which could sit for months until mowing season, by then the crows had already made a mess of the bags.  Debris fields of broken glass, shredded cans, or hundreds of bits of paper were the messes resulting from that mowing.  It was the cheapest option for the underfunded Public Works.  Support  from the County Council finally brought that to an end and was a giant step forward.  

Litter removal is an issue of both funding and practicality, but is it solely a Public Works concern?  it might best be considered as a service provided for the community at large, but funded by whom?  What has  been the value of not constantly seeing litter on Orcas Rd.?  What is it worth to have it continue? To me, it’s worth a lot, and I’ll likely keep doing it for maybe five more years.

So, support my efforts at  GoFundMe, under the name, ‘The Road Guy’.  Thanks! 

  

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