Dear Editor:

A very enthusiastic group of approximately 20 Westport Island residents used near perfect weather to make the Island’s April 29 clean-up day a great success. Several truckloads of trash and recyclables gathered from our roadsides were hauled to the Wiscasset Transfer station. As expected, trash collected from our roadsides was mostly cigarette butts and discarded beverage and fast food containers; however, like other years we continue to find a distressing amount of household trash, construction debris, discarded furniture, old tires, and even a TV monitor. Please be aware that the filters in cigarettes are made of a kind of plastic, which unlike the tobacco, are not biodegradable, and when carelessly discarded can persist on our roadsides for years.

Thanks to Ann Springhorn, Nancy Ryder and Christy Hopkins for heading up the project at the Town Hall this year. Also thanks to those who provided fruit and other snacks to sustain the participants.

We appreciate the efforts by many residents to help keep our Island clean on a year-round basis by routinely picking up trash discarded along our roadsides. Many thanks to our Island walkers, who pick up trash on their daily trek. Please keep up the good work!

Dick Tucker

Chairman

Westport Island Conservation Commission