Believe it or not, Georgia’s billion-dollar tourism industry suffers when visitors see local roadsides littered with garbage, but the economic setbacks aren’t the only reasons Bremen resident J.C. Carollo stepped up to re-establish a weekend volunteer clean-up group to preserve the beauty of his community.

According to reports from the state Department of Transportation, during just four days in April 2001, DOT crews picked up 79,000 bags of trash – an amount of trash equal to the weight of 12 elephants and as high as five Mount Everests stacked on top of one another.

While this may be a laughable comparison, the facts alone would seemingly make someone think twice about littering. The DOT reports that more than $12 million was spent for litter pick up in Georgia about 10 years ago, with costs expected to increase about 20 percent every year as more vehicles travel on interstates and highways. Furthermore, those convicted of littering could face fines up to $1,000 and can be ordered to pick up litter themselves. Yet Carollo believes simply having a sense of community pride should motivate people to refrain from littering.

Before relocating to Bremen several years ago, Carollo lived in Carrollton, where he formed Citizens for a Cleaner Carroll County, a volunteer group that traveled throughout the city to pick up trash. The organization eventually dissolved due to a lack of public participation, but Carollo later moved to Bremen and brought his tenacious spirit with him.

After settling into his home, Carollo perused through his neighborhood to dispose of wrappers and other garbage left behind from individuals passing through. Shortly afterward, he learned of a volunteer clean-up crew in Bremen that was being under-utilized at the time. This sparked a phone call to the Bremen City Police Department about forming a more structured program for local residents.

“I wanted to get involved, so I reached out to the Police Chief (Keith Pesnell). Weeks later, he supplied us with a van, and they’ve been really supportive of our efforts ever since,” he said.

But Carollo’s requests didn’t stop there. He called Bremen Mayor Sharon Sewell about his desire to contribute to ongoing maintenance efforts in the community. He said she delivered by authorizing the installation of street signage, which states “Don’t Be A Litter Bug,” near schools, parks and other high-traffic areas.

“We’re trying to encourage people to take pride in our community, and these signs will be a strong reminder,” he said. “Seeing litter on the ground deters from the city’s great perception and littering takes away from its natural beauty. Just because you have a license to drive doesn’t give you a license to litter.”

Currently, Carollo has been joined every weekend by a group of 8 to 19 people, comprised of residents and court-mandated volunteers who gather anywhere between 11 to 50 bags during each clean-up project. Carollo usually chooses a location for the group to clean each time they meet. He noted they mostly recover food wrappers, plastic bottles and gloves.

Ultimately, Carollo hopes people will understand how a few scraps here and there can seriously affect the big picture of their environment. He pointed out that littering can prevent the growth of business opportunities in the city, which in turn affects property taxes, salaries, roadway construction and enhancement projects for schools.

Carollo stands firm on his mission in public service, and the Bremen Police Department said they do, too.

“We feel very blessed to have someone to step up with great drive and concern about our community. He’s very dependable, and this service benefits Bremen citizens to a great extent,” said Police Chief Keith Pesnell. “We want to make sure our citizens are taken care of.”

For more information about the weekend volunteer clean-up group in Bremen, visit Carollo’s Web site at www.justcalljc.com.