 U. S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-5) presented the second annual Roadside PRIDE Awards Jan. 31, 2005, at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
“Congratulations to the communities that earned trophies today,” Rogers said. “I also want to thank every community that participated in the month-long competition. Thanks to your efforts, our region is the big winner. 2,442 volunteers cleaned up 2,062 miles of roadway, removing 18,701 bags of trash, 2,014 tires, and 601 appliances. Now let’s keep up the good work and keep our roads clean year-round.”
The Roadside PRIDE program used friendly competition among the region’s communities to clean up roadside litter. Throughout October 2004, cities and counties organized volunteers to pick up litter. Points were awarded for the number of volunteers who participated; the number of miles cleaned along roadways; and the amount of trash collected. The PRIDE organization paid to dispose of the garbage and provided cleanup supplies, such as trash bags.
To ensure a level playing field, cities and counties were divided into classes based on population, with Class 1 being for the smallest populations and Class 4 for the largest. PRIDE awarded 1st Place and 2nd Place in each class.
Winners of Roadside PRIDE Awards were:
• Class 1 Counties: Owsley, 1st Place; Wolfe, 2nd Place
• Class 1 Cities: Livingston, 1st Place; Eubank, 2nd Place
• Class 2 Counties: Monroe, 1st Place; Rockcastle, 2nd Place
• Class 2 Cities: Loyall, 1st Place; Lynch, 2nd Place
• Class 3 Counties: Perry, 1st Place; Johnson, 2nd Place
• Class 3 Cities: Mt. Vernon, 1st Place; Louisa, 2nd Place
• Class 4 Counties: Pulaski, 1st Place; Knox 2nd Place
• Class 4 Cities: London, 1st Place; Pikeville, 2nd Place
Rockcastle County and the City of Livingston received $1,000 for cleaning the most road miles within a scenic byway. Together, they cleaned 51 miles along U.S. 25, which is part of the Wilderness Road Heritage Highway, one of the region’s three National Scenic Byways. The Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association sponsored the cash awards.
“Roadside PRIDE grew by 1,000 volunteers this year, so people seem to enjoy the competition,” said Richard Thomas, PRIDE executive director. “Really, it’s a win-win situation. Communities have fun ‘talking trash,’ a few of them take home trophies, and we all benefit from cleaner roadsides.”
Eastern Kentucky PRIDE — Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment — serves 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. Rogers and the late James Bickford, former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, started PRIDE in 1997 to provide government resources to local citizens as they work to clean up the region’s environment. PRIDE is funded by grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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