FARMERSVILLE — The Farmersville Route 98 Litter Collectors did its first cleanup this year for the state’s Adopt-A-Highway program.

The volunteer group is responsible for clearing trash located along Farmersville Route 98 from just south of Harwood Lake to Hyuck Road. Melanie Brown, organizer of the group, said the cleanup route is a distance of 4 miles since the group is responsible clearing both sides of Route 98.

The group picks up trash beyond the road shoulder and placeds it in New York State Department of Transportation orange garbage bags. Brown said the group will perform two additional cleanups this year and the group’s overall commitment is for a two-year period.

Bob Butler is the NYSDOT Adopt-A-Highway coordinator for Cattaraugus County.

The group collected many plastic and glass bottles, a ham radio antenna, car fender, a shoe, a sock, cigarette butts, snack bags, glass shards, plastic car parts, an emergency light dome, and plastic bags and papers for a total of five bags. The NYSDOT will pick up the filled garbage bags for disposal.

Volunteers include Ginger Schroder, a Cattaraugus County legislator and EMT; Tracey Smith, a deacon in Pioneer Christian Fellowship and co-leader of the Root 16 Garden Club; Penny Brown; Joshua Lord, who owns All-Pro Gutters and the Franklinville Skating Rink; Evan Lord, a Pioneer Honor Roll sophomore and National Honor Society member; and Melanie Brown, who is the Farmersville Fire District treasurer and a volunteer Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener.

If you would like to join the group and serve the community in this way, contact Brown at melloubrow@yahoo.com or any member of the Farmersville Route 98 Litter Collectors to participate.