The Commission for a Clean County (CCC) has announced the winners of its annual Community Pride Awards program, who will be honored at luncheon ceremony at the Waynesville Country Club on Feb. 26.

This program honors businesses, community groups, civic clubs, schools and individuals (both adults and children) for exceptional efforts in the categories of litter pickup and control, recycling, beautification of public areas and environmental stewardship, which includes “green” building.  

Winners include:

• The advisory appearance committee for the town of Canton. 

• Sharon Flowe, a science teacher at Tuscola High School, for her work in organizing litter pickups and recycling efforts at the school.

• Jarvis Hampton, a teenager, who participated in every roadside litter pick-up organized by the CCC last year.

• Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. 

• Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District.

• Mark Etheridge, who has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for the YES camp and has brought groups of youths to tour the recycling facility and the White Oak landfill to see what happens to discarded items.

• Tuscola High School Ecology Club and advisor Suzanne Orbock-Miller.  

• Ken Zulla, a Lake Junaluska resident who has devoted much time, energy and money to organize daily cleanups around lake Junaluska every spring and summer. He also recruited a Boy Scout Troop to help with the clean-ups as their service project.

In existence since the year 2000, the CCC believes that a litter-free, environmentally conscious clean county is highly beneficial for the financial and physical health of its residents. 

For information about the work of the CCC, call Chairman Dr. Bill Skelton at 828.456.3575 or Secretary JoAnna Swanson at 828.452.1550.