Volunteers clean up TF

The 19th annual Thompson Falls Beautification days drew more than 100 volunteers from the area to spruce up the community last week. According to Kathy Conlin, who helps organize Beautification Days, there many returning volunteers each year, with "over half of our groups having an adopted annual project." These groups pick an area to clean during Beautification Days every year. A couple of examples are the Clark Fork Valley Elks, who tackle Wild Goose Landing every spring, and the Thompson Falls Woman's Club, who adopted the Old Jail Museum. This year Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran congregation adopted the Thompson Falls Senior Center, across the street from their church. Conlin explained that there were more groups than ever before this year.

The town cleanup process was completed Thursday through Friday and the trails system is the focus on Saturday during the event. This year, Thompson River Lumber donated new wood chips for Fort Thompson Playground in Rose Garden Park. AWANA, from the First Baptist Church of Thompson Falls on Main Street, cleaned the playground and the Trout Creek Adventist school cleaned both the east on-ramp area around the playground, and the west on-ramp area. Students raked branches, picked up garbage on both areas and had 26 volunteers, 20 of them students from the school.

The Thompson Falls Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints worked on 13 residential sites in town over the course of Thursday and Friday, with help from the students at Wood Creek Academy. "This is a great way to give back to the community," said Laura Donaldson, administrator for Wood Creek Academy. Olivia White, an 18-year-old student from Reflections Academy said, "I think it's a good thing to be active in the community. It's a way to learn to give back what you get." She and the other young ladies from Reflection's picked up garbage from the west end of town all the way to Thompson River, along Montana Highway 200.

Conlin said that anyone can sign up to participate in Beautification Days and donations are collected year round. The major effort of advertising for help and donations begins in early February. Donations can be mailed to Thompson Falls Main Street at P.O. Box 333, Thompson Falls, MT 59873 and checks must include "Beautification Days" to be allocated to the correct fund. All donations go to advertising for the event, tools, hand sanitizer, vests, gloves and other supplies. Conlin said the Beautification Days committee only buys the supplies locally. Conlin also explained that the organization bought gift certificates from 15 different local businesses to give out during a drawing. All participants of the event were entered into the drawing. Some major donors to the event were Blackfoot, NorthWestern Energy, and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. "I just love this group and it's just a great project," said Conlin.

Beautification Days is organized by a members of the Thompson Falls Main Street group and partners with both the city and the county. Artwork from local students is featured on posters displayed throughout the community.

Linda Rocheleau, a member of the Thompson Falls Main Street Beautification Days committee said, "This is my home and we just started picking up trash," when explaining the origins of Beautification Days. She was surprised that it picked up so much over the years and that it has grown to be what it is today.