Henderson Shines gives residents a chance to get rid of unwanted junk, recyclables and more

Bringing new meaning to "spring cleaning," the city of Henderson is inviting residents to bring their trash and unwanted items to the inaugural Henderson Shines program.

"This is a great effort to bring community partners together and help our residents safely dispose of their unwanted items," Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen said in an email. "Henderson Shines is the perfect opportunity for residents who don't know what to do with old paint cans, TVs, computers, or even just old boxes of papers that need to be shred."

Henderson Shines is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway.

Kathy Blaha, a senior public information specialist with the city , said this event partners the Neighborhood Services, Parks and Recreation and Community Development departments.

"The idea kind of originated from the Neighborhood Services program," Blaha said. "Neighborhood Services already does cleanups throughout the year. This program is a broader extension of that program."

Last fiscal year, Blaha said Neighborhood Services was able to help about 2,800 Henderson residents clean up 200 tons of debris.

"That's usually the larger materials that might gather in people's yards," Blaha said. "It could be landscape materials, too. Usually, it's stuff like couches. It's the junk that piles up."

Neighborhood Services goes into areas to clean either when its services are requested by a community or when the department decides to go into a specific redevelopment area to hold a cleanup .

Blaha said Henderson Shines plans to have large trash bins , areas for recyclables and a collection for hazardous and hard-to-dump materials such as paint or paint cans.

A free shredding service also is planned for people who want to get rid of unwanted papers .

Blaha said the city is looking to partner with nonprofits in case people have items they would rather donate .

Henderson Shines isn't just about cleaning. Blaha said the city is planning to have stations and booths to inform people about sustainability amenities in the city. Food vendors and children's stations, including a bounce house, also are planned.

"It's going to be like a festival," Blaha said. "If the event is successful, we will do it again next year."

The event also has a "Henderson Shines Recycle It" photo contest for students at Twitchell and Vanderburg elementary schools, who must show how they recycle.

Photo deadlines are noon Wednesday, and winners will be informed at the event.

For more information, visit cityofhenderson.com/neighborhood_services/Henderson_Shines.php.

Contact Henderson and Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.