HADLEY — As the weather warms and spring arrives, the Hadley Climate Change Committee will host a townwide spring cleanup on Saturday, April 1, to help spruce up the town. Starting at 8:30 a.m., residents will gather in the Home Depot parking lot or in their own neighborhoods to pick up trash.

“Over the last three years, the Hadley Spring Clean Up Day has grown,” said Climate Change Committee Chair Jack Czajkowski. “We hope for about 30 people and some high school students this year.”

Residents should register beforehand so that they have free access to the transfer station to dispose of the picked-up trash. Volunteers should bring the trash, in whatever bag they’d like, to the transfer station by 3 p.m.

Station attendants will have a list of the registered volunteers to confirm participation, and a transfer station sticker will not be required.

The cleanup will focus mostly on trash next to roads, trails, and waterways. People may come to the Home Depot parking lot to fuel up with bagels and for supplies such as trash bags and gloves and then stay with the group or move to another location. If volunteers have their own supplies, then they can just get started that morning.

“Hadley is a big area,” said Czajkowski. “People can suggest streets to clean up. Those are usually around people’s home base.”

The cleanup is part of the climate change committee’s ongoing efforts to protect the environment and is something many residents support.

“A couple of years ago, some seventh graders from the local high school painted signs to remind people to keep Hadley clean. This has been a big effort, and we hope people stop and toss their trash at home,” explained Czajkowski. “We thank Solid Waste Solutions, Tandem Bagels and Home Depot for their help.”
For safety reasons, volunteers are asked to dress in bright colors to be as visible as possible to motorists and to stay out of the roads. The cleanup will take place rain or shine.