CENTRAL CITY — Outfitted with reflective vests, trash bags, gloves, and grabbers, volunteers spread out across Central City on the morning of Thursday, May 28, for the community's annual cleanup day.

The event, organized by Main Street™ Central City, asked residents, city officials, local businesses, and community volunteers to help pick up litter and spruce up public spaces throughout town.

“The program uses an approach that advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, and the rebuilding of central business districts based on their traditional assets of unique architecture, personal service, local ownership, and a sense of community. The City of Central was accepted into the program as a 'Main Street Candidate Community' in November 2015," according to the County website. 

"We scheduled it last Thursday, and we thought it would rain," Main Street™ Chair Barbara Thielemann said, referring to the cleanup's postponement after a spring storm brought rain and snow to the area.

Volunteers gathered in the Big T Lot before splitting into six groups. Cleanup zones stretched from Gregory Street and Lawrence Street to Nevadaville Road, Spring Street, Pine Street, the Parkway, and the southern entrance to town. 

Fire Chief Gary Allen checks in with volunteers Shirley Voorhies, Barbara Thielemann, and JoAnn Kerr before the cleanup begins.

Photo by Mindy Leary

A team from Maverick Gaming had already tackled one of the larger sections before the official start, cleaning from the Grand Z area toward the Black Hawk city limits.

Organizers estimated between 35 and 40 people participated throughout the morning.

Coffee and donuts were available at check-in. As a thank-you for their efforts, after the cleanup participants were invited to gather in the Dostal Alley parking lot for a free lunch of burgers, potato salad, coleslaw, chips, and cookies. Main Street™ Central City volunteers prepared the food, while Dostal Alley provided the space and beverages.

Joanne Kerr and Shirley Voorhies helped coordinate the morning's activities, handing out supplies and directing volunteers to their assigned locations.

Among those pitching in was Central City Mayor Jeremy Fey, who joined one of the teams working through the downtown area. Central City Alderman Zane Plsek swept sidewalks. 

Central City Alderman Zane Plsek pitches in during the community cleanup effort.

Photo by Mindy Leary

As for this reporter, I arrived planning to take photographs and gather information for a story, but it quickly became clear there was no reason not to help out while looking for photo opportunities. 

Armed with a trash bag and one of the handy grabber tools supplied by the organizers, I joined the effort, picking up litter along the way as I made my rounds through town.

The grabbers proved popular among volunteers, saving backs from repeated bending while making it easier to collect everything from cans and food wrappers to windblown debris and cigarette butts.

Throughout the morning, groups worked their way along roadsides, parking lots, and public spaces. 

The cleanup was not just a work project, but also a community gathering, with volunteers stopping to chat with neighbors, catch up on local happenings, and compare the odd items they found along the way. Volunteer Jenny Earnest said she was simultaneously “getting her steps in” while helping the cause. 

By late morning, bags of collected trash began accumulating as teams returned from their routes.

The annual cleanup remains one of the simplest ways residents can make an immediate impact on the appearance of their hometown. For a few hours, volunteers traded their usual routines for trash bags and gloves, leaving Central City a little cleaner than they found it.