Adopt a Highway: U.S. Marines keep the wild west grand

The Arizona Department of Transportation remembers veterans for their commitment to our great nation. We also honor those who currently serve.

The Wild West Detachment Marine Corps League expresses its continuing dedication by cleaning an adopted stretch of State Route 80 near Tombstone.

Hours of contributed time and personal resources have resulted in this Wild West bunch filling more than 250 bags with tossed trash over the past 21 years.

Group leaders William Pakinkis and Vicky Rhodes-Pakinkis told us that safety is very important during these cleanup events, "Always work in pairs, have a safety vest on and look out for cars." Vicky told us that a functional laptop computer was one of the oddest things found during a previous cleanup. A humble reminder to any driver or wagon train master to secure loads before you head 'em up and move 'em out.

We're grateful to the Pakinkises and to volunteer Lilly Hritz, for wrangling the photos for us. You can check them out on the ADOT Flickr page here.

Thank you to all veterans and veteran organizations who set examples of what it means to help keep Arizona grand!

If you would like to contribute to the beauty of the southwest, adopting a two-mile section of state highway is one way to help reduce litter in your community. We welcome civic-minded groups and individuals interested in gathering together to pick up litter a few times per year. Please click herefor more information.

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