Carolina Mornings Picks Up Asheville Highways
Kelly | 9 January 2008The entrance to the city was a little cleaner for the holidays thanks to volunteers from Carolina Mornings-Asheville Cabins. The group of six collected 20 bags of litter along I-240 as part of the NCDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program.
“We found lots of interesting stuff, such as a cash, checks, a credit card, a shopping cart, a little, fully furnished campsite. I think we all became more aware of the various aspects of litter,” said Debra Vestal, guest relations associate.
The Carolina Mornings team discovered there is a lot more than meets the driver’s eye when it comes to highway litter. They were surprised to see the quantity of trash, and that people treat the highway like a big ashtray, according to Shari Goldstein, president.
“I was amazed at the amount of trash that you cannot see just from driving by. I think that the general public just sees what’s right beside the highway. You don’t know what kind of trash is out there,” said Ginger Boyd, executive director.
The group effort, and the amount of garbage they collected, was satisfying in several ways. The volunteers said they felt pride and accomplishment for their hard work.
“When we were done it was really invigorating. I felt really good about it, but I think more needs to be done,” said Matt Jones, vacation specialist.
The Carolina Mornings team found putting in hard work and volunteering for the community creates a sense of ownership. The group now takes pride in what they consider to be their part of the highway, according to Goldstein.
“It felt good to be out working together, helping the community and making this part of the highway look good. We get upset when we pass by it and see a piece of trash,” Goldstein said.
The group is sensitive to issues affecting the Asheville community. They found homelessness and environmental problems highlighted in their highway service. Through this experience they have seen what little respect others have for the environment, according to Goldstein.
“Within a week it was full of trash again,” Boyd said. “It’s really frustrating.”
Just like her fellow volunteers, the volume of trash appalled Katie Sundmacher, vacation specialist. But she felt most impacted by the apparent homelessness.
“For me it was the homeless issue, because Asheville does have a problem. I was so sad when we found the homeless camps made of whatever garbage they could find,” Sundmacher said.
Carolina Mornings is committed to four trash pick-ups a year. As they worked at their first pick-up, they realized that in order to keep the roadside clean, more people need to pitch in and join the program, according to Jones. His first Adopt-A-Highway experience has given him an idea to get more people out beside the highway picking up trash.
“We should find a company and challenge them,” Jones said.
Vestal came out of the experience with ideas on how to make trash pick up more efficient.
“I would love to invent a machine for picking up cigarette butts,” she said.
Carolina Mornings, an Asheville-based vacation rental and property management agency, strives to provide excellent customer service and property management. The Carolina Mornings team enjoys matching guests with the perfect rental property for their Western North Carolina vacations.
If you are interested in contacting Carolina Mornings, whether for your investment property or your next vacation, or if you want to take up Matt Jones’ challenge for a highway trash duel, they want to hear from you!
West Branch office: 44 Merrimon Avenue Suite 2, Asheville, NC, 28801
Telephone: 828.398.0712
One the web: www.carolinamornings.com