Making Howard County cleaner

   Litter is one of those things that drives me crazy.  I have never understood how anyone can be so inconsiderate to just throw out their trash along the road.  The picture above is junk that some idiot thought they could discard along a nice path in Columbia. I have even encountered used furniture discarded along our paths.

   The Columbia Association has tried to scare people into not dumping items along our paths.

 Not sure if a sign will stop these people but it is better than nothing.
    One way to help eliminate some of these eyesores is to join a program that the County government has called "Adopt a Road."  As their website explains:
      "Volunteers are needed to monitor and pick up litter and other debris thrown onto our roadways by careless or irresponsible citizens. By volunteering to pick up litter at least four times a year on a selected road, you can make a tremendous impact on the appearance of your neighborhood, community and Howard County.

       Who can participate?
The Adopt-A-Road program is open to any individual, family or civic, business or church group located or residing within Howard County. Participants must be a minimum of 12 years old. Groups with members younger than 16 must be supervised by an adult (18 years or older). At least one adult is required for every five participants younger than 16.

     What am I expected to do?
You can request a road or section of road for adoption, or Highways can suggest one for you. However, for safety reasons, some roads may be ineligible for adoption (narrow shoulders, no shoulders, limited sight distances). Groups are requested to adopt a one- to three-mile section of a county road for a minimum of two years. Litter should be collected from your adopted road as needed, hopefully a minimum of four times a year with a major clean-up each spring."

   The County also offers a bulk pick up on your trash pick up day.