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Idaho Transportation
Department

Office of Communications
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563

 


Jerome inmate worker program honored
for cleanup efforts on U.S. 93

A program to rehabilitate offenders in Jerome County also rehabilitates the aesthetic qualities of U.S. 93 west of Twin Falls. Participants in the Jerome County Sheriff’s work program regularly clean a two-mile segment of the highway and were honored last week for their efforts.

Magistrate Thomas Borreson, Jerome County Sheriff Doug McFall and Cpl. Gary McGeoch enthusiastically support the program that gives inmates an opportunity to give back to their community through the Adopt-A-Highway cleanup campaigns.

Inmates have cleaned the highway between mileposts 51 and 53 the past decade. They also migrate to other highways and roads that need to be cleaned.

The group’s philosophy, “turning something negative into a positive,” has helped people in trouble gain a sense of ownership in keeping our highways clean,” explains Joyce Shaw, ITD’s District 4 Adopt-A-Highway coordinator.

“Whether it is rain, wind, or shine, their group is out picking up trash and has picked up an incredible 10,710 pounds of garbage from various state roadways.”

Some collection efforts are more lucrative than others. One collector found a $20 bill nestled under a rock. Soft drink cans yield their own reward. The aluminum is recycled, and the Eden and Jerome Senior Citizen Centers share profits equally. Proceeds are used to purchase turkeys and hams during the holidays.

The Idaho Transportation Board recognized representatives of the work program as the District 4 Adopt-A-Highway group of the year Thursday during the final day of their business meeting/road trip to the Magic Valley.

Board member Gary Blick presented a framed certificate and a clock fashioned from a sample Idaho license plate to a group representative as part of the board meeting.

ITD’s statewide Adopt-A-Highway program organizes the cleaning of Idaho roadsides by volunteer groups. Those groups “adopt” a specific stretch of highway – usually two miles long – and take responsibility for keeping it clean through regular litter patrols.

Approximately 1,100 groups spent nearly 57,000-person hours statewide removing litter in 2008, collecting an estimated 1.9 million pounds of litter from Idaho’s roadsides.

About half of Idaho’s highways have been adopted, leaving ample opportunities for other groups and individuals to become involved. The volume of material collected makes a tremendous difference in the appearance of Idaho’s highways, said Sherie Sweaney, statewide AAH coordinator.

The estimated value of the cleanup labor is equivalent to more than $730,000 – savings that can be applied to other projects, improving highway safety and driving conditions. For more information about adopting a stretch of highway, contact Sweaney at (800) 443-2878.

Published 9-18-09