Volunteers for the June cleanup are shown. All are welcome to help keep Robson Ranch Road lookin’ good.
Joan Muyskens Pursley
Despite soaring temperatures, high humidity, and the threat of COVID-19, about a dozen members of the Robson Ranch (RR) Democratic Club showed up on June 27 to clear the trash along Robson Ranch Road from I-35 west to Michelle Way. It was a very successful cleanup, noted Richard Kushmaul: “The group collected fifteen big bags of trash and six bags of recyclables.”
This is not the first time members of the club have picked up trash from the shoulders of this road. Several years ago the club decided it wanted to do something for the community. More than one member brought up the ever-growing amount of litter on this main road to RR: not the first impression we want people to have of our pristine community. So the club contacted Keep Denton Beautiful (KDB), and through its “Adopt-A-Spot” program, adopted this 2.8-mile stretch of road.
For two years now, four times per year, club members have volunteered to do road cleanup. Waterproof boots and gloves are necessary. For the July cleanup, KDB supplied yellow masks, hand cleaner and rubber gloves. The club provides the traffic vests, trash bags, buckets, and trash pickup devices. Generally one or two members with pickup trucks transport the refuse to designated RR dumpsters.
Wading through water, weeds and mud—with a constant eye out for snakes and other critters—in order to pick up other people’s trash does not sound like a great way to spend a morning. But Sheri Quarfoot, who has participated in some half dozen cleanups, says, “It’s fun and provides almost instant gratification. You never know what you’ll find among the debris: old ID cards, articles of clothing, dishes, parts of an armadillo shell, even unopened rolls of toilet paper (although soggy). It is gratifying to see how much nicer Robson Ranch Road looks after 90 minutes of work by a great group of volunteers.”
You do not have to be a member of the Democratic Club to help keep Robson Ranch Road clean. Residents interested in volunteering should contact Richard Kushmaul; his phone number is 940-262-3422.
KDB is a nonprofit organization that engages Denton neighborhoods, businesses, and residents of all ages in creating a clean and beautiful Denton. Last year at its annual KDB Appreciation event, the Robson Ranch Democratic Club was recognized as the “Outstanding Adopt-A-Spot” team.