Shawano Spring Cleanup with the Shawano Department of Public Works 

Join Jaime as she learns the ins and outs of proper garbage can placement and even lends a hand to our local tough-guys on the Shawano Department of public Works crew as they start the annual Spring Clean-Up city wide. Spring Cleanup allows all residents to throw out items they normally would not because their are too big for our trash cans.

transcript

(upbeat music)

– Good afternoon and
welcome to Shawano News,

your positive source in a crazy world.

I’m your host, Jaime Lee.

Today, we’re at Shawano Public
Works for a spring cleanup.

Thank you to our sponsor,
Mayor Bruce Milavitz,

for sponsoring this episode.

Hi, I’m here with Scott Kroening,

the director of public
works here in Shawano.

Thanks for joining me, Scott.

– Yeah, thanks for asking me.

– How long have you been
with the department?

– I’ve actually been here forever.

It seems like over 30 years.

So yeah, pretty much one
of the oldest people here.

– Well, you look really young.

(laughter)

– Thank you very much, thank you.

– So over the 30 years,

what have been some of the biggest changes

to this department?

– You know, I think a lot of the years

that I’ve worked here,

there wasn’t a lot happening in Shawano,

but lately for the last five to 10 years,

everything seems like
it’s really exploding.

The Plaza Project is starting now.

This year, we’re getting,

seems like a little bit
more street work done.

It just seems like there’s
a lot of positivity

in Shawano lately and a lot
more work getting done here.

– So with all the new projects,

it’s up to you guys to
keep these things clean

and refreshed and safe, correct?

– Absolutely, absolutely.

So I guess, and if you want
me to lead right into that,

my spring cleanup starting
next Monday, the 18th,

we are starting for two
weeks to go pick things up

like your bulky items.

People clean up the garages or basements

and put ’em out for us
to come and pick up.

– So that’s April 18th through the 29th?

– Correct, correct.

– Okay, can you tell us a little bit more

about the process of putting
some of these bigger items out

so we do it right?

– Yes, absolutely.

So there’s still a few things

that you do have to get
these little stickers for,

these bulky items stickers.

Microwaves, refrigerators,
humidifier, dehumidifiers, tires,

anything that we have to pay
for actually to get rid of,

we still have to charge you for.

And you can pick these
stickers up at the DPW

or right at City Hall.

– Okay, well, today I have
a special opportunity.

Scott got me with some of the guys

and I’m gonna go on some
trucks and some cleaners.

So let’s go clean up.

Thanks Scott.

Now we’re on the streets of Shawano

ready to get clean with Shawano News.

I am here with the operations director

and old family friend, Andy Daniels.

Andy, thanks for coming on.

– You’re welcome, thanks for having me.

– So we’re in front of the garbage cans

and this might sound kinda basic

but give a low down to the residents

of how they can put the trash
in correctly, where to put it.

So it makes the job easier for the guys.

– Okay, well, number one,
you know, with your garbage,

try to keep grass clippings
and stuff out of there.

They actually should be
placed in a separate spot

to help make room in our landfills.

So keep the garbage in there.

You can keep it cleaner by
putting in bags and what not.

It’s not required,

but it just helps you
keep your can cleaner,

so it doesn’t stink in the long run.

And then when it comes to recycling,

make sure that you don’t
put plastic bags in there.

You can get a pamphlet online.

The DNR has a website that shows you

the correct things that go in recycling.

Or if you wanted to, you could
call us and request that.

But when doing the recycling,

please don’t put plastic bags in there

cause it plugs up the machines

when they take it and separate it.

And make sure that when you do set it out,

that the containers are
at least four feet apart

from each other, okay?

– Ooh.

– So when they’re close
together like this,

the trucks have a hard
time coming in to grab ’em,

but if they can be four feet apart,

there’s an automated claw that comes

and they can easily come and get in there

and grab the cans.

That would really help
us out tremendously.

– And is it supposed to be on the road?

– Preferably, if you can,
put it up on your yard.

– Didn’t know that.

– Just because you don’t want traffic

getting it out on the road, right?

– Awesome, well, thanks for the info.

Do you think you know anybody
that can get me on a truck?

– Just maybe.

– Okay, let’s go chase
down the garbage trucks.

Bye bye!

(upbeat music)

Okay, we are at the street sweeper.

I’ve always wanted to
know what this thing does.

It’s so fascinating as a kid.

What exactly does the process entail?

– Okay, so the street sweeper,

what it does is it’s got a big vacuum

and a couple of brushes
that sucks the dirt into it.

And it lifts the dirt, debris, garbage

and what not off the streets.

This is good not only for the
appearance of the streets,

but it also helps keep all that debris

out of our storm sewers, which
a lot of people don’t know.

But those storm sewers
flow directly to our rivers

and you know, lakes and whatnot.

So, you know, when
somebody gets mad at people

for throwing a cigarette butt,

cigarette butt outta
their car or what not,

that’s why, because that ends
up in the waters we swim in.

So it, if we can do that,
people help each other out,

keep clean water so we can enjoy ourself.

That’d be great.

– I like your attitude.

Let’s go sweeping!

(upbeat music)

I am here with some
garbage men, Rod and Cody.

And I just wanted to say, thank you,

these men do not get enough credit.

They do a lot of work
keeping our city clean.

And we just wanted to say, thank you,

because you know,
sometimes it’s a dirty job,

but someone’s gotta do it, so thank you.

What is, I have a really
kinda crazy question.

Sometimes is it really, really smelly?

– Sometimes, yes.

– What do you do if it’s really stinky?

– Just deal with it.

– Deal with it?

And what’s your favorite story
about being a garbage man?

– I’ve seen a lot of different stuff

we’ve clean up through the years,

but you can find good stuff too.

I know, but there’s a
lot of bad stuff, but

– Yeah.

– A lot of junk.

– A lot of junk,

but you guys always do it with
a smile and with kindness.

So thank you.

Shawano News.

Who says I don’t work hard?

One thing I love about this job

is I get to try all these new things

and I’m gonna do some hard labor today.

Got my work gloves on.

Let’s get some of this junk in the trunk.

(upbeat music)

She works hard for the money,

so hard for the money.

Time to vacuum up some leaves.

Hopefully I don’t get sucked away.

Let’s go.

(leaves being vacuumed)

(squeals)

Oh my gosh, that was hard work.

My back and my arms are killing me.

Do you think I got a job?

– I don’t know.

I think if we work on your
technique a little bit,

maybe after five, 10 years,
you might get the hang of it.

– I think I’ll stick to my day job.

Okay, it’s Jaime, the yard police.

We actually found something.

This is yard waste

that maybe isn’t done as
as nicely as you’d like.

Can you tell us how you’d
like the yard waste,

the trees, the branches and
leaves to be done properly?

– Yeah, that’s a really good question.

A lot of times when
people set out yard waste,

I know that you’re trying

to get everything done in a hurry,

but it would really help us out a lot

if you could take the
time to separate things

like your brush and your leaves.

So like here, for example,

you got brush and leaves together.

Not a good way to do it, but over here,

their pile is, you know, much
better, I guess you’d say?

– Right.

– So if you could separate that.

And then also instead of
having it so far from the curb,

try to keep it right up
against the back of the curb

without putting in the gutter.

If it’s in the gutter, it’ll
plug up the storm drains

when we have a heavy downpour,

so please keep it up on the curb.

And then if you could keep it

as close as you can to the curb,

that would really help

because it’s only a single
man operation with that hole.

It only reaches about five,
six feet tops, off the curb.

So if they could do that,
that would really help.

– And this is a lot of
really good information.

As you said, people
really can’t be perfect,

but just take a little time to be kind

and to do your part because
it makes everyone’s job easier

and this town beautiful.

So thanks, Andy.

– Yeah, make your collection guy smile.

He’ll be really happy if you do good.

– Smile!

What a fun story picking
up around Shawano.

Remember that spring cleanup

is April 18th through the 29th.

Until next time,

this is Jaime Lee signing
off for Shawano News.

Keep living and loving in the 54166.

(upbeat music)