By Linda Kor The back roads in Holbrook and the surrounding area tend to show the aftermath of late night partyers and careless people who tend to use the area as a dumping ground for trash and debris, and even appliances and furniture. The problem has become so severe that Holbrook resident Matt Shevat decided to get to work. Shevat spends a lot of time cruising along those back roads and open spaces picking up trash and as a result, restoring the area to its natural beauty. “I have been picking up cans, bottles and cardboard along Eighth Avenue all the way to Tractor Supply. That dirt road past the LDS Church seems to be a trash haven for drinkers, so after cleaning them up, it takes two weeks to look like a party zone again.” Shevat says that so far he has picked up a tire, seven bike frames, a microwave, a hamster cage and lots of cans along the roads. “There are hundreds of mini alcohol bottles along the roads that cannot be recycled due to their size,” stated Shevat. Shevat has also found scrap metal and yard waste dumped along the BNSF tracks. “I’ve picked up a lawn mower, gas grill, rebar, house trim, several bike frames, bike wheels and cans. I saw four five-gallon paint buckets and took three of them. The other was full of paint. These are worth $6 each.” Shevat has also discovered swamp coolers, bed frames, pipes and car wheels dumped off of Old Woodruff Road. In addition, a washer, a couch and dryer that was dumped under the State Route 77 bridge. Shevat says he believes most people are like him and do not want the land covered in the debris and realized that to see the change he wanted he would need to get busy, although it can feel like a thankless job. “I want the land to stay clean and not like a landfill, so I do this on my time. It frustrates me to keep cleaning and then see more trash later in the week.” Shevat does get some compensation for his efforts. He took his first load of the metal debris to Phoenix last year and made $56. The most recent load he took to Albuquerque and made $85. “It’s not about the money; only the clean look to the Holbrook roads. I also don’t just use my gas money to deliver the scrap and come home. I deliver the metal and then eat out, see family and then go camping in a park. I try to make this a fun event or I may lose interest.” Shevat isn’t asking for community help collecting the debris but for those wanting to do their part, it begins with making sure that such items as bottles and trash are kept in vehicles until they can be put in a trash receptacle and that large items such as appliances and furniture are brought to a landfill or a recycler where they can be properly dealt with. For those unable to do so, Shevat says he will come and pick up scrap metal at no cost by emailing him at termat1@frontiernet.net.
