COPAKE—Copake residents love Cleanup Day, according to a press release from Town Highway Superintendent William Gregory.
This year the beloved day is May 21 at the Town Highway Garage, 47 School Road, with extended hours from 8 a.m. until noon.
Nancy and Paul Barrasel, former residents and members of the Copake Economic Advisory Board, thought up the cleanup day idea, believing the town should give residents the opportunity one day a year to dispose of unwanted stuff free of charge.
Though the day was originally sponsored by the CEAB, the day is now organized and executed by the town highway department and paid for out of the highway fund. As this cost is paid by the taxpayers of the Town of Copake we will have a strict policy of only Copake residents allowed for Cleanup Day. All others will be turned away.
Examples of acceptable items are: broken toys, old electronics, lawn furniture, bicycles, freezers, refrigerators, lawn mowers, all scrap metals, household appliances and tires less than 19 inches in diameter.
For the first time electronics will be separated for recycling, in the past these were added to landfills.
Scrap metal and freezers/refrigerators will continue to be collected year round for recycling. In 2010, the department brought in more than $9,000 in revenue through scrap recycling.
Unacceptable items are: household garbage, brush or tree limbs, oil based paints (latex paints should be left to dry out and then placed with the regular household garbage), stains, varnishes, solvents, gasoline, kerosene, car wax, swimming pool cleaners, insecticides, weed killers, aerosol cans, photo chemicals, fiberglass resins, rug cleaners and spot removers.
Disposal of most of these items can be done through the Columbia County Solid Waste Department, which will conduct its annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day June 4 from 8 a.m. to noon. Call the administrative office at (518) 828-2737 for details.
In 2010 the town highway department collected 19 ten-wheeler loads of unwanted items. The cost of tire and rubbish disposal for 2009 and 2010 was an average of just over $5,000 per year. For more information call Mr. Gregory at (518) 325-4222 or email bgregory6161@gmail.com.
