Amnesty Day on Saturday

Toccoa and Stephens County are getting ready for a major clean-up this coming weekend.

The city of Toccoa, Stephens County, and Keep Toccoa-Stephens County Beautiful are teaming up this Saturday for an Amnesty Day and Community Clean-up Day.

This Saturday marks the third Amnesty Day that the county has had.

Stephens County Commissioner Stanley London said on Saturday, Stephens County residents will be able to bring large residential trash items to the county road department on Scenic Drive, next to the county jail, and throw it away for free.

“We encourage anybody in the county to load your trucks up and come on out,” said London. “We are taking anything except for tires and no liquids, paint, anything like that. We would prefer it to be residential, no commerical.”

Hours for Amnesty Day are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Teaming up with the county and KTSCB this year is the city of Toccoa.

City Commissioner Gail Fry said that the city will be cleaning up as well.

“On Saturday the 16th, we will have our debris trucks running,” said Fry. “We will have several teams lined up and we need more volunteers. We will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday at Emory Johnson Park and the volunteers will go out to different areas of the city.”

Volunteers will be cleaning up areas like Pond Street, Davis Avenue, and Broad Street, while the debris truck goes around and gets items that people have gotten to their curb in the city.

Fry said the city is also helping to get rid of junk cars on Saturday.

“There are some people that have old cars that are not registered and that have been there for a long time, but do not run and we are providing tow trucks that day,” said Fry. “Anywhere in the county.”

Fry said anyone needing a junk car towed away or any city resident who needs the debris truck to come to their house in the city should call 706-886-8451.

London said he feels like the county and city working together on this can make a real difference.

“I feel like with all these volunteer groups working together, there are no excuses,” said London.

Those are thoughts echoed by Tim Hale, who is a member of the Citizens Advisory Panel on Litter and Blight.

“A few volunteers can only do a few things, but the more people you have involved in it, the more people you have going out and spreading the word, the bigger it gets,” said Hale.

For more information on amnesty day, call 706-391-0110.