At Thursday's meeting of the Harlan County Fiscal Court, Mavinidis, the solid waste and PRIDE coordinator in Harlan County, praised the efforts of several volunteers before the magistrates and Harlan County Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop.
Mavinidis said the volunteers have worked tirelessly to enhance and protect the national beauty of the county.
But its not just the hours these volunteers have put in picking up litter at the side of the road or pulling old tires out of streams that garnered Mavinidis' admiration.
Many of the volunteers, Mavinidis said, have inspired other individuals to participate in the cleanups and have a knack for energizing and organizing many groups to take part in PRIDE.
"This is a good group of people," Mavinidis said following the meeting. "They are thinking about the future and the children and the environment."
During this year's PRIDE Spring Cleanup, which was held April 9-23, volunteers from around the county picked up litter, cleared small illegal dump sites and conducted several beautification projects, including planting trees.
Mavinidis said one of the volunteers involved in this year's spring cleanup, Bo Simpson, was named PRIDE volunteer of the month, the first time anyone in the county has achieved this honor.
In his comments to the fiscal court, Mavinidis recognized the following people for their outstanding efforts:
n Kyle Long, of Liggett Baptist Church, coordinated volunteers from his church. Together, the group picked up trash around Liggett, cleared debris from a waterfall and turned one into a picnic area for the community.
n Shelia Middleton wrangled 24 volunteers into picking up trash around Cawood Elementary School and Cawood Hill area.
n Jerry Noe, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1178, coordinated his group1s efforts around KY 413 in the Baxter area, which resulted in a two-mile stretch of highway getting cleaned and free of trash.
Mavinidis also praised Noe's success in getting other people to volunteer for the clean-up.
n Jerry Asher conducted a number of roadside clean-ups, Mavinidis said. Asher also personally worked with several other PRIDE groups who needed an extra set of hands.
n Bo Simpson helped plant 90 trees in the area and worked diligently to renovate the area around Cumberland Elementary School and the Benham Country Club.
Simpson also helped clear fallen trees and limbs, old tires and junked cars and tons of debris from the areas where he worked.
Mavinidis said the hard work of the volunteers has a dramatic and immediate effect on the community but their real impact may be much more subtle.
"They have inspired others with their work" Mavinidis said. "The kids can see that these people support PRIDE and see the work that they are doing to help the environment. This brings in more volunteers."
For their efforts, Mavinidis presented the five volunteers honored Thursday with a fold-away chair bearing the PRIDE logo.
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