50 tons of junk removed from neighborhood

Four junk removal companies last week hauled away 50 tons of cars, sofas, wooden pallets, doors, toys and other debris from Evergreen Mobile Estates near Shelton's Sanderson Field.

The Evergreen Mobile Homeowners Cooperative that oversees about 50 manufactured homes on East Blevins Road North received a grant for the pickup. The cooperative hired Mason County Clean Outs & Junk Removal, WashingTone's Junk Removal, R&K Recycle and Transport, and Dirt & Stuff Mason County Clean Outs to haul away items on March 9 and 10.

Silvia Schindler has lived on the property since 1997 and was the assistant manager for 11 years before Evergreen Mobile Estates became a cooperative. Schindler said she had been trying to conduct a cleanup for years.

"If we don't do something, we'll stay what some people are calling a dump," she said.

Residents were encouraged to drop their castoffs in piles for collection. The youth group from the Shelton Presbyterian Church, located next door, volunteered on the first day to help residents get ready for the cleanup.

"There are lots of working-class families trying to survive," said Amber Shrum of Mason County Clean Outs & Junk Removal.

Shrum said the companies hauled away 32 tons of trash, 86 tires, 25 appliances, three tons of recyclables, 10 tons of vehicles, and 5 tons of junk and yard debris.