The annual spring Schuylkill Keep It Pretty begins next week as a four-day program for the first time in the organization’s 30-year existence.
The SKIP event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon April 21 to 24 at sites throughout the county.
Darlene D. Dolzani, Orwigsburg, has been involved with SKIP since its creation in 1986 as a board member and earlier this year took over the reins as executive director.
Drivers and walkers along any road in Schuylkill County will see litter and trash, though there seems to be a visible reduction in many areas.
“It’s not as bad as it used to be. They’re getting harder to find,” Dolzani said. “I was out looking for them (littered areas) with Joe Scribbick, who is the county’s solid waste and recycling coordinator. When we founded SKIP in the 1980s, we used to take elementary students to an illegal dump site where they could see the trash and the rats running around. They would be freaking out about that. And then we took them to the landfill at Pine Grove and show them the right way to do things.”
Dolzani said the idea was to start working again with the elementary students, but the lack of dump sites near roads made it not safe for the students. However, Dolzani said, students today are more aware of caring for the environment, which helps with keeping areas cleaner.
“Part of the improvement is that the kids today have the green thumb, the ecology clubs in schools,” Dolzani said. “A lot of elementary kids are taken out from the schools for the cleanup. The school districts are more active in it. When SKIP started, the requirement was that the executive director had to be a certified school teacher, but the schools picked it up for the students and SKIP no longer required having the executive director as a school teacher.”
According to its website, www.skiplitter.org, SKIP is a cooperative effort between the SKIP board of directors, Schuylkill County commissioners, Schuylkill County Solid Waste & Recycling Coordinator’s Office and the people of Schuylkill County.
A nonprofit corporation, SKIP was established in 1986 to manage Schuylkill County cleanups, teach environmental education to the county’s youth and to assist in litter enforcement. SKIP’s goal is to clean up the litter and educate our youth on solid waste management and, hence, Schuylkill County will be a better place in which to live and work.
Dolzani said making the cleanup a four-day event provides more opportunities for people to participate.
“SKIP always had a one-day cleanup for three hours. You can’t accomplish what’s needed in one day and three hours,” Dolzani said. “As the new executive director, I set it as a four-day cleanup and PennDOT will pick up what is collected on Monday. I think we’re going to see more of a cleanup this time.”
Another change will be the timing of the annual fall cleanup. Dolzani said. Prior years the fall cleanup was held in October. This year it will be in August.
“At the end of October you can’t find the trash for the leaves,” Dolzani said. “So I’m going to have a late summer one in August and that way it will be more conducive for a good cleanup,” she said. “No one is going to root through leaves to get to the litter. A lot of common sense has to go into this.”
Dolzani mentioned that state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, will participate in a cleanup in the Tamaqua area, and noted his interest in being part of the cleanup. Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas Judge John E. Domalakes will once again be part of the Frackville Rotary Club’s cleanup of the Frackville Industrial Park.
“He is extraordinary,” Dolzani said of Domalakes. “He’s out all the time cleaning up. I took his supplies up to the courthouse two weeks ago. I spend a lot of time delivering supplies.”
Dolzani said there are many organizations, schools, companies and individuals providing the volunteer help for the cleanup. As of Tuesday, Dolzani said more than 700 volunteers are registered, adding there are some companies who have indicated they will participate but have not gotten back to her to say how many volunteers will participate.
“We have over 700 now, and I’m hoping it will go to 800 or 900,” she said.
Anyone interested in participating or would like more information can call Dolzani at 570-943-2403 or email ddolzani0531@gmail.com.