BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Kitty Brown picks up trash on the side of Goni Road during the Goni Preservation League's annual cleanup day on Saturday morning. Brown has lived in the area for eight years with her husband Bill.
Saturday morning, Sophie Holmes and Zoey Gray were scouring the countryside off Goni Road looking for more trash.
The 12- and 13-year-olds, respectively, were helping keep the open space near their neighborhood clean while looking for things they could keep.
"My friends and I come up here hiking and we hate to see trash," Sophie said. "A couple a years ago we found a whole camp with four mattresses and a bunch of other things up here."
The girls were part of the Goni Preservation League, a nonprofit group of homeowners who own and oversee 30 acres in Goni Canyon as open space.
"Our trash cleanup day is partially to cleanup our areas, but our goal is to just make the area in general better," said Tom Gray, Goni Preservation League president. "You will never know what you are going to find."
In previous years group members have found engine blocks, tires, glass bottles, broken toilets, cars, condoms and mattresses dumped in the area.
"There's less trash out here this year than in previous years. It might be that we are starting to have a presence in the area," Gray said.
Homeowner Tricia Lincoln said she is always glad to help keep her neighborhood clean.
"This is kind of a hidden gem in the city and we want to keep it that way. We have great neighbors and we have a common goal," Lincoln said.
The group recently received a grant to build a one-mile loop trail on one of the parcels they own. The $64,000 grant was allocated from the Federal Recreational Trails Program earlier this year.
The trail will be composed of crushed granite and is set to include seven benches, a small parking lot and be handicap accessible. The trail is scheduled to be completed later this year.
"Although it's not located in a hilly area, it does have a spectacular view," Gray said.
In order to receive the grant money, the group must complete a 20 percent match, which can included donated materials, funds or volunteer hours.
The girls said they were looking forward to the new path, but for now were focused on cleaning up the rest of the hill they were working on.
"This area is where a lot of people dump stuff and we like to help," Zoey said. "Plus I like hanging out with my dad."
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1217.
Free landfill use promotion draws tons of junk
Carson City residents disposed of $8,664.30 worth of junk for free this year during Pride Week events April 22-29, according to Darren Selby, the city's public works operations chief.
The average price for dumping at the landfill is about $10 per ton. This annual celebration included trash pickup, graffiti removal and other beautification efforts citywide. Free use of the landfill was one way to encourage participation in the mass cleanup.
Weekend visits to the landfill during Pride Week
Date Total vehicles Free vehicles Free tons
April 20 607 336 107
April 21 725 630 200.01
April 22 810 710 203.51
April 27 440 172 72.9
April 28 580 473 185.25
April 29 374 316 97.76
Totals 3,536 2,673 866.4
Nonpride week weekend
Friday 164
Saturday 322
Sunday 164
Total 853