By Rachael Gleason
Item Correspondent
March 01, 2008 11:41 pm
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More than 50 vehicles lined the dirt road behind the Huntsville Transfer Station early Saturday morning to participate in the 13th annual Trash Bash before the event started at 7:30 a.m.
“There were long lines before it even started,” Superintendent of Solid Waste Services Esther Herklotz said. “There were fifty cars before 6 a.m.”
County Judge Danny Pierce and other organizers of the event said more than 300 cars, truck and trailers filled with unwanted waste came through the station before the event ended at 1 p.m. They said the New Waverly site, which was also accepting waste, probably saw an additional 100 loads.
County Commissioner for Precinct 4 and WCPC President Tim Paulsel said Trash Bash is a “multi-level event,” with participation from several organizations, including Walker County Proud Communities, the City of Huntsville, Trinity River Authority, Walker County Jail, Master Gardeners and the American Legion.
The aim of Trash Bash, Herklotz said, is to keep the county clean and beautiful.
“[Trash Bash] is a community and countywide effort to clean up the environment, properties and street ways,” Herklotz said. “Our aim is to keep Huntsville beautiful, and keep Texas beautiful.”
The event was held at the Huntsville Transfer Station at 590 I-45 North, where volunteers from the Walker County Jail and other organizations were able to unload waste from vehicles into different piles.
Herklotz said residents brought mattresses, tires, lumber, boats, appliances and backyard waste to be disposed of properly.
Paulsel said most of these items are not picked up by the county, and residents would have to travel and pay to have them disposed of.
Treasurer and one of the founding fathers of WCPC Pete Haynes said it is especially hard in rural areas to dispose of waste.
A tally of city and county participants showed that just as many county residents participated in event as city residents,
“It’s a close race,” Pierce said, as he tallied the cars that came through.
County resident Darrell Dyer brought a truck trailer to the event filled with waste from his barn. He said Trash Bash is a good opportunity to get rid of “junk” people hanging around.
“There is no reason to dispose this trash improperly,” Paulsel said. “This event offers a way to dispose of it properly and at no cost.”
In addition to Trash Bash, Walker County has been actively pursuing various other events and programs to “keep Texas beautiful.”
Paulsel said that grants from the Houston Galveston Area Council have allowed the county to procure an environmental deputy, who investigates illegal dump sites, a woodchipper for yard waste and trees, a litter truck to keep the streets clean and a means to plant wildflowers and bluebonnets.
“HGAC has helped tremendously,” he said.
For more information on Trash Bash, contact Paulsel at (936) 344-6558 or Herklotz at (936) 294-5724.
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