Clean-up planned on March 26

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Simpson County has a new solid waste coordinator.

Jack Dickey is serving as the parttime county solid waste coordinator. He will head up several events in conjunction with the 2005 Commonwealth Cleanup Week.

During the week of March 20-26, private landowners can drop off waste tires for free at the Simpson County Convenience Center on Ditmore Ford Road. Crews from the Simpson County Detention Center will also pick up old tires from the roadsides throughout the county. For more details, call Dickey at 586-0418 or 586-7184.

Dickey is also asking for volunteers to help clean up an area known at “Twin Branch” on Pleasant Hill Road in the extreme southeast corner of Simpson County near the Rapids Community. Volunteers will gather at the site on Saturday, March 26 at 9 a.m. to remove “years of accumulated trash.”

“The twin branch name comes from the meeting of two water courses at a low water ford on its way to Sulphur Spring Creek. It is home to numerous groups of deer and turkey. In addition, there have been multiple sitings of owl and red tail hawks in the area,” said Dickey. “Multiple decades of dumping and littering have robbed the area of its unspoiled beauty.”

Simpson County Detention Center crews will also assist in the clean-up. Since Feb. 15, the crews have removed 500 bags of litter, weighing about 10,000 pounds, from 70 miles of city, county and state roads in Simpson County.

Directions to the area are as follows: go 4.5 miles on Ky. 100 east from Exit Six, turn right on the McKendree Chapel Road, turn left on the Pleasant Hill Road and got approximately three miles to the clean-up site. Signs will be posted.

Dickey was born and raised in Warren County and moved to Simpson County about 10 years ago. The 44-year-old is an avid outdoorsman who once ranked in the top 20 nationally in rock climbing. He and his wife, Barbara, own a small farm on Phillips Lane, called Dog Tired Farm, where they operate a fresh cut flower business. His wife is employed at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

Dickey said he has helped organize and execute clean-up of outdoor recreation areas in several surrounding counties.

“The solid waste coordinator job will allow me to stay physically active and pursue an interest in public service without feeling guilty about being outdoors,” said Dickey.