In Magnolia, I was able to see the community’s recycling center and to visit with the mayor about the town’s cleanup. Magnolia has a very successful event that was sponsored by the city’s administration, the Chamber of Commerce and civic organizations such as the Magnolia Rotary Club.

At right: A mural in downtown Magnolia enhances the community's appearance. Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

One of the gentlemen in the Rotary Club had just returned from a trip to Arizona, and he made it quite clear that there is a difference in the cleanliness of Arkansas compared to Arizona. Those are comparisons that we need to fix. In fact, he was originally from New York, and he could not believe how much more litter-free New York was compared to Arkansas.
 
I was really impressed with the recycling center, the size and the amount of activity. Residents of Magnolia have fully adopted the center and drop off materials on a regular basis. The center has a full-time director and employs adults from a halfway house. This arrangement works extremely well for the community.
 
I was asked to help the center find a source for its glass recycling. After some research, I was able to offer several names to contact. If community pride is a commodity, then the residents of Magnolia have discovered a rich resource in their recycling center
 
Magnolia is a relatively small city with a major cleanup effort. This is what we are striving for – advancing and enhancing Arkansas’ environmental quality of life.
 
Won’t you help us keep Arkansas beautiful?