Trash pile leads to learning experience in Abbeville

Trash on the side of the road is never a good thing, except maybe for instances like Thursday when a positive lesson can be learned.
Deborah Randall of Victory Lighthouse Church in Abbeville said Thursday morning that she is happy to have been properly educated on how to dispose of construction-type trash. This comes after officials with the Vermilion Parish Police Jury discovered a pile placed by the church on some of church’s property on the side of North John Hardy Drive in Abbeville.
“We redid the ceiling and electrical lighting,” Randall said of work recently done at the church. “We put the trash from it in construction bags and took it down the road to put on some of our property to be picked up.
“We didn’t know you couldn’t do that.”
That area is within the city limits and the ordinance related to the matter reads that trash can be placed only on the location where it is generated. The Police Jury handles trash pickup in the City. Police Juror Wayne Touchet, who received a call from someone passing by Thursday about the pile and went to the scene, informed the church that a large trash bin can be requested by certain properties to alleviate such issues in the future.
“There is a proper way to go about doing it,” Touchet said. “You get the Police Jury to bring you a container. You put the trash in the container and we haul it away. We are more than happy to do that and there is no charge if it is a non-profit or residence.”
The Police Jury did have one of its grab trucks pick up the trash Thursday morning. Randall said she is pleased to learn that information about the bin.
“I didn’t know that you could request a dumpster for things like (construction),” Randall said. “I am glad I know now because I love this city and would never want to litter.
“I think it is a good thing to inform people.”
Placing a trash pile on the side of the road can create litter problems. Randall said while the church had placed only construction trash, others apparently stopped and placed household trash in the pile. Some of that trash ended up scattered in the area, including ditches, because of recent windy conditions.
“The wind is the worst litterer,” said Abbeville Main Street Manager and Keep Abbeville Beautiful’s Charlene Beckett, who also went to the scene.
Beckett asked that people do not randomly place trash because it could create a chain reaction of people adding to the trash.
“Litter invites litter,” Beckett said.
Randall agreed.
“I love Abbeville,” she said. “I would never litter Abbeville. I am fanatical when I see someone throwing trash out of their vehicle’s window.
“I am glad to know what to do now and hopefully it helps others.”