A 74-year-old Eureka resident wants to clean up at least one of her city’s streets.
Jean Kesterson joined forces with fellow city resident Joan Romero, 79, to create a group called Eureka Community Volunteers that has adopted 1 1/2 miles of West Fifth Street through the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway Program.
The portion of the adopted road runs between North Central Avenue and Eureka Towne Center Drive alongside I-44.
Kesterson said she decided to help form the group, which plans to hold serval road cleanup efforts, after reading numerous complaints about the trash along West Fifth Street on “Eureka Peeps,” a Facebook page dedicated to residents in the city.
“People were complaining on ‘Eureka Peeps’ about the trash, but nobody did anything,” said Kesterson, who moved to the city in 2013. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I just go ahead and start it?’”
She said the first cleanup effort is scheduled to be held from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 1, with volunteers asked to meet at 156 Eureka Towne Center, which was previously the Eureka Hills Library Branch.
Kesterson said before adopting the road, she reached out to Ward 1 Alderman Wes Sir to see if there was anyone else spearheading a road-cleanup effort in Eureka. She said Sir told her there was no such effort.
Kesterson also said Sir suggested she team up with Romero to start the cleanup effort.
“I just want the community to be beautiful, be green,” she said.
Romero said she had reached out to Ward 1 Alderman Jerry Diekmann after seeing a lot of trash pile up.
“It looked horrible,” she said.
Romero said Diekmann forwarded her to Sir, who then connected her to Kesterson.
The two had never met before but joined forces.
“This is our city, and we have to keep it clean,” Romero said.
Kesterson said she used to live in Wildwood and picked up trash for several years along the road and found a ring once.
“I would find tools, money, kid’s toys, furniture,” she said.
Kesterson said the first Eureka Community Volunteers cleanup is scheduled for a Wednesday, so there will be less traffic. There is a makeup date for Wednesday, June 8, scheduled if weather conditions do not allow for the first cleanup effort to be performed safely.
She said the group has not set a date for a second cleanup effort.
Kesterson said volunteers should bring their own water, hat, bug spray, gloves and sunscreen. She said the group will provide trash bags and safety vests.
Kesterson said she has about 20 free ice cream scoop tokens to give to anyone who volunteers.