Spring Cleaning in Westport with Team ‘C.O.W.’ Returns in April

Spring has arrived on the SouthCoast and the cleaning is well overdue in Westport.

Twice a year for the last eight years, a coordinated clean-up has improved the town tenfold. A large group of volunteers made up of over 100 locals call themselves Team "C.O.W." or "Clean Our Westport". The name itself is suitable in multiple ways.

On Saturday, April 15th, from 9:00 AM to Noon, Team C.O.W. will spread out along the highways and backroads of Westport to preserve the town's cleanliness. Martin Costa has teamed up with Deborah Weaver of the Westport Watershed Alliance twice a year with the help of local businesses and volunteers. The committee meets a few times at the start of each year to prepare for the big Spring clean up.

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Each volunteer will receive gloves, garbage bags, a garbage reacher, and a bright green safety vest with all the corporate sponsors. You will not need to bring anything, just show up at the old Westport High School at 19 Main Road and you'll be equipped with everything you'll need.

"We try to cover as much of Westport as possible," Costa said, "Families come out with their kids and it really brings the town together. You'll be surprised what gets picked up: Everything from light trash to televisions to vacuum cleaners. The highway department is short-staffed these days, so it's nice to give b really help out the town in a big way."

Costa has assigned four trucks to drive around town at 1:00 PM to collect the garbage bags that have been filled up and left on the side of the roads.

"The Lion Club usually joins us, and the local donations help us purchase the vests, gloves, garbage bags, and even the reachers that tend to be costly. Win-Waste not only donated a dumpster for us to use but also $1,000 towards the project. Bay Coast Bank gave us $1,000 and so did Perfect Smiles who also sends around 20 volunteers each year to help make a difference in the town of Westport."

Anyone who would like to help with the clean-up can sign up by emailing Costa at cleanourwestport@gmail.com or giving him a call at 508-965-4775.