Cleanup campaign taking to the streets

Organizers of the Cleaner, Safer Blytheville program will begin knocking on doors Saturday, asking permission to clean up overgrown properties in various neighborhoods.

They will also continue canvassing neighborhoods to determine which areas need the most attention when the effort begins Sept. 10. So far, 41 churches have committed to the program, which began as a vision of Blytheville Councilmen John Musgraves and Stan Parks and is now under the direction of a board of local church leaders because of its growth.

Parks said he is already seeing an impact, noting some residents are not waiting for Sept. 10 to get started, evidenced by piles of debris.

He said while surveying neighborhoods Tuesday, residents came out of their homes, asking to be a part of the cleanup.

"Young kids and teenagers on bicycles asked what we were doing and they said they would come out on Saturday, Sept. 10 to help us," Parks said. "They want to be a part of it because this is their neighborhood, they live here. They're excited about what's about to happen. This is just a start of what's happening for Blytheville."

Musgraves added: "Now they are beginning to see somebody cares. They have a legitimate concern about the neighborhood, where it's going and where we want to take it. I think we're going to get a lot of people in these neighborhoods that want to get involved."

Parks pointed out the group is still asking for more churches to get involved. Along with taking permission forms door-to-door, they will have a volunteer sheet in case others want to participate.

The program has a Facebook page -- "CleanerSafer Blytheville" -- and an email, cleanblytheville@att.net.

"We've got various civic groups becoming a part of it," Parks said. "We're reaching out to them. The Chamber, industry -- everybody's coming together for this in a big way to turn Blytheville around and get the true image of Blytheville out to the public. We can come together and work together for the common good."

The program will run for eight weeks in the fall and another eight in the spring. It is targeting high crime areas to reduce crime and beautify the blighted sections of town.

The goal is by building up these areas, it will promote unity and instill neighborhood pride.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com