Clean Up Cape Month will be a multitiered effort

Spring cleaning will be kicked up a notch this year in Cape Girardeau, as Mayor Harry Rediger earlier this year declared April as the first Clean Up Cape Month.

The aftermath from a difficult winter, along with the activity of the Cape Girardeau Beautification Committee and the annual Friends of the Parks Day and Great Cape Clean-Up on April 26, Rediger on Thursday said it seemed appropriate to declare the first of what is hoped to be an annual month of working to beautify the city.

"I just kind of want to get everybody involved during April on a cleanup blitz," Rediger said.

Clean Up Cape Month will involve the participation of the entire city, he said, including the Parks and Recreation Department and the Public Works Department, as well as residential, commercial and business property owners.

One of the first orders of business to start the month of beautification is extending the city's leaf collection program into April.

Because of winter weather, many leaves didn't get raked or didn't make it to the streets to be picked up, Rediger said.

"We're really dedicated to finish that job," he said.

The leaf collection program began in November and normally runs through March, said Tim Gramling, director of Public Works. A last day for leaf collection has not yet been set, he said, but it will be extended a week or two into April.

Another pickup program city residents can use to their spring-cleaning benefit is a free special pickup they are allowed once a year. The service is provided on Wednesdays for large, bulky items, including garage and basement debris, according to the city's website.

Though the free pickup may be used anytime during the year, Rediger said April may be a good month to schedule one.

Adopting a street, park or neighborhood for litter pickup also is a way to keep Cape Girardeau clean, he said.

The Public Works Department's efforts to keep the city clean is ongoing, Gramling said, and that will be highlighted in April.

One ongoing project is Operation Clean Sweep, in which three crews do some "general sprucing" of streets, whether its picking up trash or knocking down weeds, he said.

Some residents took notice when crews cleaned up the street in front of their home, and they began cleaning up their property, Gramling said.

The winter weather has slowed the frequency of the crews' visits to the main parts of the city, he said, but they plan to gear back up in April.

"If the city's going to talk the talk, we want to walk the walk, as well," Gramling said.

The parks and public works departments and beautification committee will work hard alongside citizens to clean up the city, Rediger said.

"I would encourage citizens to report any kind of issue involving their area, their neighborhood," he said. "I know we've got a lot of street issues because of the hard winter," such as potholes and crumbling streets.

Business owners are asked to do the same -- if they notice something that needs attention, report it, Rediger said. But "it doesn't hurt to go out and pick something up and throw it in the

trash ... "

Rediger asked Cape Girardeau residents to be the city government's eyes during Clean Up Cape Month.

"If you see something, report it, and we will follow up," he said.

For more information on leaf collection or special pickups, call 339-6351.

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