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Man does his part to help clean up county
"I was born in this community and I noticed, even when I was a little boy, that when we'd go to Jackson the county roads were filthy and the roads in Jackson were clean. "This is my home. I couldn't stand it. I think people should feel proud of their home. It should be part of your morals and values to keep your environment around you, especially your community, clean," he said. Jemison, who is occasionally joined by his canine companion Lady, gets up early, grabs a bucket and a sharp stick and begins his day picking up the trash other people throw out. "I find everything from dirty baby Pampers, Mc- Donald's bags, Hardee's bags, Church's chicken boxes to beer bottles and beer cans. Sometimes I find some change, but the most money I've ever found was a $5 bill at the bridge. "Some people think I'm just out here picking up cans, but I pick up all the litter. Sometimes they'll stop and talk to me and I tell them I'm not just getting the cans and they should keep their cans in their trucks. They're not helping me by throwing their cans out," he said. Jemison said he told a county road supervisor about his efforts to keep the area clean in hopes the road crews would also work harder to keep the area cut. "I felt like if they saw me keeping the community clean then maybe they would cut it more so I could walk easier. If you cut it with all that paper out there it makes it look even worse." He hopes that he is making an impression on the children who see him cleaning up the road sides. "When I was a kid, you didn't throw things out in the highway. You had a bag in the car and you threw it in there and threw it in the garbage can when you got home. I'm trying to be a good example. I know the kids are throwing some things off the school buses because I find a lot of pencils. Some people throw it out when they're seeing me picking it up." He was glad to see the recent increase of Alabama State Troopers in the area. He said the community was much cleaner than usual and he felt it was due to the presence of lawmen in the area. Not everyone has been supportive of Jemison cleaning up the community. Relatives told him they were embarrassed by his picking up trash. "This is their community. I see old ladies pushing lawn mowers, keeping their place clean. In Alma the whole community gets out and picks up litter. I can pick up trash if I want to. Back in my grandparents day if you wanted something done you just did it. You didn't go complaining to someone else or go to any committees, you just did it. I moved back here in 1997 and I always said that I was either going to have enough money to have this place cleaned up or I'd do it myself, so I'm doing it myself." Jemison said he enjoys the walks. It gives him time to pray and collect his thoughts for the day. He said it's also good exercise. "The main reason I'm out here is to keep the road clean. If you show concern for where you live you knock out other bad elements too, like drugs.
"People need to stop littering. Keep the community clean and beautiful. When it's clean it's beautiful. I don't have to go to the city of Jackson or the town of Grove Hill or the city of Mobile to see clean highways. I keep them clean right here."
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