March 31 was Batesville Cleanup Day and Ruritans, newbies and locals turned out to help clean up roadways. “Spring came early this year and we’re trying to beat the poison ivy and snakes,” said Ruritan Emily Greer.
In the parking lot by the post office, Grady Lewis stood with a hand-drawn map and wrote in the names of 45 volunteers, showing where they would work along the roads around Batesville.
Volunteers worked from Miller School back toward Batesville, and covered Plank Road in both directions, all the way to Route 250 at the west end and towards North Garden on the other. The territorial limit of Batesville is indistinct. “Batesville is a state of mind,” explained Todd Kissan. Volunteers pretty much pick up whatever area they want and then others try to fill in. “You just never know what you’ll find,” said Kissan. One year they found a large cache of peach schnapps bottles.
Volunteers wore heavy duty shoes, long pants and long sleeves. Gloves are encouraged, since one never knows what might be found. Each volunteer wore an orange vest and carried four large orange trash bags. They were all entered in a drawing for a gift certificate to Dr. Ho’s in North Garden. Free donuts were available at the Batesville Store, open just for this special event.
