The Midwest is ugly in the winter time. Especially this year. With our seemingly unending spells of snow and ice, we are left with a mess sludge and mud. Add to that the litter that James Stark refers to in the letter above, and our city just looks gross.

I agree with you, Mr. Stark. As a community, we need to take more pride in our town. Whether we get our own hands dirty, or employ the help of other institutions, we do have some work that needs to be done. Over the last six years since I’ve been working at the paper here in Grandview, I’ve witnessed, written about, and been a part of different groups and organizations who wish to make our home a better place to live.

The City of Grandview agrees, too. They offer the Trash Busters Program to citizens and businesses. In conjunction with Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MODOT)No MOre Trash campaign, the city allows the opportunity for volunteers to earn money while beautifying Grandview.
Class II safety vests, pick-up sticks, and trash bags are provided by the city. The bags are then placed along the roadside that has been cleaned and will be picked up for disposal by MODOT. Invoices (also provided by the City of Grandview) must be completed for each collection date and submitted for payment. Organizations or individuals will then receive $5.00 per bag collected.

In the past, organized groups have gotten together for clean-up days, and the money raised has been donated to local nonprofits, like Grandview Assistance Program or the Grandview Education Foundation.

If interested, or for additional information on the city’s Trash Busters Program, contact the Public Works Department at 816-316-4856.

With spring finally on the horizon, and it looks like we’ll finally be thawing out, we can begin to put in a little effort to clean up our little corner of the Midwest. Let’s make Grandview and South Kansas City shine.