This article is from page 30 of the 2008-06-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
SCHOOLS, homes and businesses in Shannon are being encouraged to take pride in their places, as the lo- cal tidy towns competition is up and ubbavepentes
The Shannon Tidy Towns commit- tee has recommenced its local com- petitions, after a lapse of three years. It is encouraging entrants to three categories of the competition — best kept area, best kept school and best small business. There will be two prizes for the best kept areas and two for the best kept schools.
According to the chairperson of the tidy towns committee, Olive Bowen,
independent adjudicators will keep an eye on the schools, residential es- tates and businesses around the town throughout the summer.
“We will concentrate on litter, hanging baskets, quality plants and how areas are kept in general,” she said.
“We are hoping this scheme will continue to encourage people to keep their areas clean,” she added.
She said the tidy towns committee was working hard in an effort to 1m- prove marks gained in the national competition. The committee has also entered the countywide Clare in Bloom competition and hopes are high that the town will earn plaudits
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“We are very pleased with the way things have been going. People in Shannon are keeping their properties very well,” she said.
‘We are very pleased that the Bal- lycasey roundabout has had shrubs put in place, but we are still waiting for the roundabout at the town centre to be better organised,” she added.
Local businesses have been keen to get in on the act. McDonald’s fast food outlet in the town helps out with the cleaning every year, while 50 staff from Intel cleaned the river- walks last week.
The local youth club and the Chris- tian Leadership Movement have also
committed to helping out with clean- ups during the summer months.
The changing characteristics of the population of Shannon have been re- flected in the campaign to keep the town in tip-top shape.
In recent years, several people from Poland and Lithuania have moved to the town and locals are keen to en- sure they are made welcome.
Posters, encouraging people to get involved in keeping Shannon tidy, have been compiled in four lan- guages — English, Irish, Polish and Lithuanian.
A presentation night for the local tidy towns competition will take place in September.