Lyle Community Clean-Up Kicks Off Today and Tomorrow
The Lyle community is coming together to make a difference, and everyone is welcome to participate.
Volunteers and staff at the community clean up on April 14, 2023 Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
By Cole Goodwin
Lyle, Washington, is coming together for its annual community clean-up starting today, April 14th, and tomorrow, April 15th. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, volunteers and residents will be lending a hand, completing needed projects, and having some fun during the busy spring season.
The community clean-up is an opportunity to celebrate Lyle and the support neighbors provide to each other throughout the year. Volunteers will be accepting trash, yard debris, recycling items, winter coats, and hosting a space for exchanging tools, gear, clothes and other usable supplies, and offering encouraging words to one another. It's a great opportunity to connect with neighbors, get spring cleaning completed, and get involved in the community.
The event will feature several programs aimed at recycling and donating unwanted items at the covered structure at the Lyle Community Center. The clothing and textiles drive will collect all textiles, including clothing, bed sheets, towels, and bags, among others. Winter coats, heavy sweaters, warm hats, and winter gloves should be bagged separately to be distributed to local people in need next fall and winter.
Clean, dry, and working electronics will also be collected, including computer towers, laptops, cell phones, small electronics, and small appliances, as well as wires, cords, and string lights.
Free stuff! Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Each household is limited to one standard truck bed of items for the exchange.
The community is invited to "shop" for items and encouraged to leave a donation. All exchange items should be clean and in working condition so that another person can make use of them. Several community members stopped by to shop and drop things off at the Lyle Community Center.
“I feel like this is matchmaking work, there’s been so many people who have come by who have said “ I was just going to buy that!’” said Lisa Beranek, who helped coordinated the Lyle Community Council in partnership with Dirt Hugger, and Klickitat County Solid Waste Management and volunteers.
Lyle residents (left to right) Lisa Conway, Lisa Clipper, Robert Johnson, and Lisa Beraneck volunteering at the item drop off and exchange at the Lyle Community Center. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
On top of all the clean up work, Beranek says that the event is also about building community and community engagement.
“In addition to the clean-up offerings and Senior Services helping elderly Lyle households with wildfire risk reduction, The Friends of the Columbia Gorge are doing a Cherry Orchard Trail work today too. Lots of people picking litter roadside. And checking in on neighbors. Good times!,” said Beranek.
“It’s an opportunity to meet neighbors and say hi and interact,” said Beranek.
Yard debris will also be collected, including leaves, grass clippings, branches, and clean lumber. The community is reminded that plastic garbage bags, dirt, sod, treated wood, and pressed board will not be accepted. The yard debris collected will be composted by Dirt Hugger in Arrowhead Dumpster Rental dumpster across from the Lyle School District bus parking lot.
Yard debris dumpster in Lyle. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Trash will also be collected, in the Lyle School District bus parking lot, with items less than six feet in length limited to one standard truck bed per household. However, appliances, concrete, axels, tires, furniture over six feet in length, and hazardous materials like wet paint, propane, fuel, chemicals, and batteries will not be accepted.
For more information visit the Lyle Clean Up Event Facebook page.
