The village of Channahon is divided by long stretches of highway, and drivers along those roads might notice only the natural beauty of the area, neat rows in farm fields, sloping lawns, the green fairways of the Heritage Bluff golf course. It is pretty as a picture, and just as perfect. But its bucolic beauty hides a lot of hard work.
The squeaky clean little burg is one of a small but growing number of southwest suburban towns and villages that participate in a statewide anti-litter program called Adopt-A-Highway. The program was instituted by the state of Illinois in May 1993, providing the means for local citizens to assist municipal, township and county cleanup efforts of state highways.
No bottles, cans, scraps of paper or packaging mar the landscape along U.S. Highway 6 and surrounding roads.
“The first time we picked up it was unbelievable. It was terrible,” said volunteer Donna Feeney, 39, of Minooka, an employee of the Stepan Co., a soap manufacturer in Channahon.
The company, one of 14 local groups that have adopted roads, is responsible for a portion of Bluff Road south of U.S. 6.
“We try to stay active in the community and be a good neighbor,” said Charles Worden, manager of human resources for the company, which has been based in Channahon since the 1940s.
The first cleanup last May was an eye-opener, Worden said. The group of employees worked more than half a day and filled up 10 large trash bags with accumulated litter.
“We picked up a lot of cans, bottles, paper and, surprisingly, a lot of compact discs that were cracked and broken. I don’t know,” he mused, “maybe they didn’t like (the music) and threw them out the window.”
According to Channahon Deputy Clerk Kay Muench, local churches, school groups, civic organizations and businesses have adopted most of the local roadways, including U.S. 6, Channahon’s main drag, from Interstate Highway 55 south to the Grundy County line.
“We keep a clean town,” said Muench.
Although the Adopt-A-Highway program is a state program, it is administered by the local municipality. The towns recruit volunteers; present orientation meetings; provide safety vests, gloves and trash bags; and haul away the collected litter.
The volunteer groups are required to sign a two-year agreement and participate in cleanup efforts at least four times a year; most, however, schedule more. Their work is recognized with an Adopt-A-Highway sign along the designated strip of road.
James Graziano of the Illinois Department of Transportation said the program is especially popular in rural areas, such as southern Will County, where cleanup crews on state highways may be few and far between.
The program also has made inroads in the suburbs. Matteson just recently joined the program, said Village Manager Daniel Dubruiel.
“Litter has always been a problem and people don’t like to see the debris. It’s an extensive nuisance to the village, and then there’s the question of who is responsible for cleaning up the roadway,” he said.
So far, the Rotary Club and employees from the Sam’s Club warehouse store on South Cicero Avenue have signed up to adopt a road.
“Unfortunately, people do litter,” said the Rotary Club’s Ed Bowman. “There is a need for this program.”
The civic group has adopted Crawford Avenue from 207th Street to 217th Street, while Sam’s Club will be responsible for a stretch of Cicero near the store at 21430 S. Cicero Ave.
“We have a tradition of service to the community, and this is just one of several projects we are participating in,” Bowman said.
Dubriel said no official cleanups have been sponsored yet. The village is planning an orientation meeting to explain the program and address safety issues for the volunteers-signs warning motorists of the cleanup crews are provided-and the first cleanup will be held in time for the annual “Matteson Make A Difference Day” on Oct. 22.
Ed Wahlrath, director of health and environment for Homewood, said the town joined the state program last year and has taken it a step further.
“We have a whole lot of individuals who go around in their neighborhoods and pick up litter,” Wahlrath said.
Beautification committee member Joan Geddings coordinates the Homewood program.
“We call it our `Litter Lifter’ program,” she said. “Litter is a big concern in the community, especially near the shopping centers and malls where it’s horrendous.”
More than 50 individuals and 20 local groups are involved in the anti-litter effort.
“They take a portion of highway and are responsible for it year-round. This is not just a summer project,” Geddings said. “You’ve got to treat it like it’s your own back yard. If you see an ice cream container or some other garbage in your back yard, you’re going to pick it up, right?”
Geddings’ volunteers range from retirees who patrol their blocks to Boy and Girl Scout troops who spend their Saturdays arranging pickups along neighborhood parkways. Civic groups and business owners contribute manpower to clean up busier highways and the downtown business district.
The volunteers do seasonal sweeps of the village and also participate on an as-needed basis, she said.
The program has provided business owners with the impetus to clean up around their buildings. “If you drive downtown you’ll see them out sweeping the sidewalks and the curbs, and someone’s always picking up in the parking lots,” Geddings said.
“Taking care of your community can be a monumental job. But we want to say that we are proud to live in Homewood.”
The cleanup efforts are making a difference, according to volunteers.
“The last couple of times we’ve picked up about two to four bags of litter,” said Worden. “We try to do the cleanup after work-we tend to get a better turnout-and there is a lot of traffic, a lot of visibility. I think people are noticing our efforts.”
Channahon Lions Club member Paul Muench, 55, said the group is gearing up for its annual fall cleanup, scheduled for late September.
“The first time we went out last year it was awful. It had never been picked up and there were beer bottles everywhere and cans stuck in the mud. But now we keep it picked up pretty well,” he said.
“We must be making a difference. There’s been a lot less litter this year,” he added. “It’s a lot of work, but you feel good about keeping your community clean.”
