By Leigh C. Merrifield
When calendars tell us that the Spring season has arrived, thoughts turn to Spring cleaning projects – both inside homes and outdoor yard tasks. This is a undertaking for communities as well, and Shinnston City Manager Tori Drainer says their plans are in place and they are ready to begin!
“We are hoping that the cold weather and snow have come to an end and that we can prepare for a fresh start,” she said. “Our Public Works Department will begin street sweeping on April 1st and will follow a neighborhood schedule through May 1st. A ‘fresh start’ means that many people will return to a regular routine of walking and kids will be riding their bicycles again. So it’s time to remove cinders and all the winter debris.”
She further explained that this not only gives our community a more attractive appearance and lends curb appeal to neighborhoods, but this is needed maintenance. “A lot of road treatments were required this winter and the remains of that accumulated,” she added. “Often this debris washes into storm drain systems and can block sewers and drains and cause flooding. We want to avoid that and keep our storm drains clear.”
The City requests residents’ cooperation while this project is ongoing. While streets will not be closed, in order to do this effectively, no street parking will be permitted while sweeping is being done. This will ensure that Public Works can do a thorough curb-to-curb cleanup. Work will begin at 8 a.m. each morning, so please ensure that cars are OFF THE STREETS!
Below is a list of dates during which street sweeping will occur in specific locales:
• April 1 – 3 Route 19 from Gibby’s to Lincoln High School
• April 6 – 10 (Ward 2) All downtown areas, High St., Beech St., Locust St., Maple St., Fleming Way, and Wood Lawn
• April 13 – 17 (Ward 3) All Pleasant Hill areas, Harvey St., South 2nd, Park St., Beechwood, Oakwood, Jarvis, Columbia, and Fleming Sts.
• April 20-24 (Ward 1) All East Shinnston Sts.
• April 27 – May 1 (Ward 4) All West Side Sts.
Please be considerate and adhere to NO ON STREET PARKING while work is being done in your neighborhood; you can resume parking on streets when sweeping in your neighborhood is completed.