Operation PRIDE underway
Saline County municipalities, Hardin County Work Camp and Illinois Department of Transportation teamed up again for the Operation Pride 2015 spring clean up. Inmates from the Hardin County Work Camp will be scouring the roadsides in Saline County this month, cleaning up trash and debris in a project aimed at beautifying and improving our county.
Correction Officers, inmates and local officials gathered at Buddy Pool Motors car lot to inaugurate the 2015 Operation Pride operation. The inmates, under the watchful eyes of Department of Corrections Officers will be combing the roadsides, picking up trash and rubbish that would otherwise litter our highways and clog the rainwater drainage system. Bags of litter will be on display at Buddy Pool Motors.
Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler spoke at the ceremony, noting the value of this effort by the work camp inmates.
"This effort by the work camp symbolizes the pride we should feel in our community," Fowler said. "The trash these men pick up is a very real problem for our drainage system and I and the cities involved greatly appreciate their efforts."
Acting Director of the Hardin County Work Camp Jeff Dennison also spoke at the ceremony.
"We are happy to be again helping the communities in the area," Dennison said. "I want to thank the inmates for their effort and thank IDOT for their assistance and for providing the trash bags and other help to complete this project," Dennison said.
Fowler also expressed his appreciation to IDOT for their help in carrying out the clean-up work. The clean-up will occur along state Routes 13, 34 and U.S. Route 45, beginning in Equality moving west and Eldorado moving south through Carrier Mills. The project will be active from now until April 24. Local businesses and organizations sponsoring the project included Buddy Pool, Barnes Lumber, Bulldog Systems, West End Landfill, Nationwide Glove City of Harrisburg and Eldorado Township.
Aluminum cans will be recycled with proceeds benefitting the Christian Community Compassion Center.