MAY 1, 2019
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THE POLK COUNTY 1168 Hwy 71 S • Mena, AR 71953 • 479-243-9600
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Volunteers Help Residents With Cleanup Duties (MENA) Over 450 volunteers chipped in and helped fellow Mena residents with cleaning up homes and yards. A joint effort by the City of Mena and volunteers from Clean Up Mena, in cleaning up properties all across the city took a concentrated two day task and culminated with a huge THANK YOU cookout on the lawn of Janssen Park Sunday evening. The volunteers tackled over 125 scheduled projects. Those projects came from all over the Mena area. Most of the projects consisted of mowing lawns, weed eating, cutting and hauling brush to the curbside and other needed services. The cleanup by the volunteers in such a large number was the first time that such an effort has taken place, in recent memory. Organizers were anticipating around 400 volunteers, but exceeded that goal. The City of Mena Street Department will continue the effort when they begin picking up the debris and trash from
throughout the city, going with a similar schedule pickup as Southern Disposal’s trash pickup. However, the city will pickup the materials one day afterwards. Pastor Victor Rowell of The Crossing Church, stated that if a dollar amount could be given in volunteer hours, over $100,000 could be estimated. Mayor Seth Smith, who also volunteered his time during the two day cleanup, is also anticipating going out with city crews in picking up the materials to take to the landfill and other appropriate lcoations. Smith added that one interesting story from the volunteer effort was that an older lady discussed that her dream home that her husband and herself formed many years ago, became difficult and unmanageable to maintain through the years. Smith stated that she was extremely appreciative that after the volunteers cleaned up the overgrowth on a tree in the backyard. Smith said that she will be able to witness her grandchildren being able to enjoy the tree that her children used to play on
now, after the much needed sprucing of her property. Rowell expressed that the convergence of strangers helping one another has created long – lasting friendships and relation-
ships with their neighbors, with this project. Rowell and Smith hope to see this become a regular event, but will be determined after the completion of this year’s
Mena/Polk Chamber Banquet Awards Gala (MENA) A gala and festive evening was the setting at the Annual Membership Appreciation Banquet for members and guests of the Mena / Polk County Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening. Comedian Byron Trimble kept the crowd laughing with his unique blend of humor and songs. A successful silent and LIVE auctions afforded the organization to raise funds to support its Scholarship Fund awarded
Speaker Dr. Joe Steinmetz, Chancellor, U of A - Fayetteville
(In the event of rain, ceremonies will be relocated to the Union Bank Center on the campus of Mena High School.)
annually. First Financial Bank won Business Of The Year honors, while the Area 14 – Special Olympics organization won Citizen of the Year and Pete Chambers won Volunteer of the Year. Numerous other awards were given out by Chamber representatives throughout the evening, to a packed room in the Ouachita Center at UA – Rich Mountain.