What started as an effort to develop the healthy habit of walking has evolved into a cleanup crusade for Harvey Brunt, a resident of the Marvin Chapel Community along the Old Natchez Trace.
Litter along roadways resulting from careless travelers is the fuel for his mission.
Thanks to Brunt and collection of litter during his daily walks, the roadsides from his home on Attala Road 2247 to Highway 43 North have taken on an almost pristine appearance.
Brunt began taking a “pickup tool” and a litter bag on his walks, and they have become standard equipment for him now.
“I first started walking a mile, which took me to Marvin Chapel Church,” he said recently. As his stamina increased, he added another a mile to his route, taking him to Indian Hills Subdivision. And the walks just became longer from there, extending to Black Jack Road and Highway 43 North.
Brunt has a vision of a litter -free Attala County that he believes could become reality if only there were enough volunteers willing to join him in his effort.
“Attala has 19,000 residents and a big difference in the county could be seen if there was a volunteer from each community,” he said.
Organizations or churches taking on cleanup projects would help alleviate the problem that has become widespread, he said.
Still, clean roadsides are a secondary purpose to Brunt’s walking and workouts at the gym. He said he can now give his doctor a report of having lost 20 pounds since October.
Brunt retired last June following 30 years employment with AT&T.
