A Jackson resident is taking matters into his own hands after years of seeing trash pile up along a main road into the city. Marshall Maske has been organizing cleanup efforts for eight years, but the problem persists.
- Marshall Maske has been organizing annual cleanup efforts along Boardman Road for eight years.
- The resident worries that trash along the "gateway" to Jackson creates a negative impression for visitors.
- Local officials have not provided clear answers about why the trash problem continues.
After years of frustration, Maske reached out to FOX 47 News about the ongoing issue.
WATCH: Jackson resident takes action against persistent roadside trash problem
Driving down Boardman Road just a few days ago, Maske pointed out trash scattered along the side of the street. The area appears recently mowed, with shreds of paper, plastic, and styrofoam left behind.
"At the end of the day it was more of just wanting to keep it clean and wanting to find out why it kept getting dirty," Maske said.
The concerned resident has been taking action for nearly a decade.
"About eight years ago, I just decided to pick up Boardman. I noticed a bunch of trash just because I drive up and down it all the time. And then I thought, you know, a lot of people see this. So I decided to just pick it up by myself. And then the following year, some of my friends and people were wanting to be a part of it. So I started making a little annual group with it. The Jackson Department of Transportation gave me bags and vests," Maske said.
Having lived in Jackson his entire life, Maske worries about the impression the garbage gives to visitors.
"Every time I imagine someone driving into Jackson to like, you know, get something to eat like on their roadtrip and back out, I just imagine them pulling up and then they go down Boardman and it's just a bunch of garbage there. So that to me, you know, that split off right there is like the gateway to us. So, I kind of just wanted to make sure that people didn't have a bad impression on it," Maske said.
"I think we need to figure out why there's so much trash there. Like where is it coming from?" he added.
When I contacted Blackman Township about the issue, officials stated that Jackson County maintains the side of the road. The county transportation department declined to comment publicly when reached for further information.
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