Multitude of mattresses, other trash meets its demise on Clean City Day

Old mattresses and other household junk make their way to the dumpster on Clean City Day Saturday morning as Mayor Bill Dory and Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar haul one off.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

Disposing of about everything from soup to nuts, Greencastle residents took full advantage of Clean City Day Saturday.

Working with Jack’s Trash, Greencastle officials filled 12 large dumpsters (from 20 to 40 yards) and eight small ones, including two full of tires, three full of TVs and three full of appliances, according to City Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar’s totals.

Dunbar joined Mayor Bill Dory, Deputy Clerk Melanie Welker, Street Department personnel, a number of other city workers and their spouses, along with volunteers from the Greencastle High School National Honor Society and DePauw University in keeping things moving Saturday at the GHS parking lot.

As one of the Jack Trash’s dumpster fills up, Greencastle High School National Honor Society members Molly Ramey (on left) and Jasmine Weddle get ready to close it up.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

Things weren’t too busy the first hour, Mayor Dory said, although a couple of early risers were on hand even before the 9 a.m. opening to dispose of their unwanted household items.

By 10 a.m., cars were lined up out the east end of the parking lot, and by 11-ish, the line was snaking its way down Percy Julian Drive to Washington Street.

Mattresses were a popular item for the dumpster, while lawn furniture, old bicycles, screen doors, broken-down chairs and no-longer-comfy couches were also prevalent.

Par for the course, one fellow carried a set of golf clubs to the dumpster, leaving officials to wonder whether he’d had enough of the often-frustrating game. Another said goodbye to the holiday spirit, tossing a plastic Christmas tree into the burgeoning dumpster pile.

“We had a few things come through that were really too nice to go in the dumpster,” Mayor Dory noted. “We told them, ‘Why don’t you take it to one of our thrift stores.’ They said, ‘We never thought of that.’”

While no one was seen dumpster diving, one fellow spotted a couple of push lawnmowers off to the side and asked if he could have them.

“He said he could use the parts off of them,” the mayor explained. “We’ll probably see pieces of them next year.”

Habitat for Humanity officials were also on hand Saturday, collecting wet paint that can be exchanged for new paint for their building projects.

Habitat collected four pickup truckloads of paint stacked three layers high, Clerk-Treasurer Dunbar said.

Clean City Day has become an annual event to help keep Greencastle clean as local residents area able to dispose of big items free of charge.