Marion’s roadsides could be staying clean all year long thanks to Keep Marion Clean, a new campaign being launched by the town Tree and Parks Committee.

With the success of the Arbor Day town-wide cleanup in May the committee wants to keep the action going well beyond the annual event.

“Despite all we do, Marion is still filled with litter,” said Tinker Saltonstall, organizer of the Arbor Day event. The main point is to bring the community together and work together. We need to keep Marion clean all year long.”

Saltonstall said many people are already involved as sponsors and volunteers. Students at the Sippican School have made signs for businesses or residents to display. Many windows around town already have them.

The Sippican Lands Trust has become the headquarters of the cause. Residents, families, scout troops, and classes are encouraged to stop by and pick up trash bags, gloves, and safety vests for cleaning work. After signing in at the SLT and collecting litter, trash can be deposited at the town dump.

“What happens is the ramps at I-195 get cleaned up and look great for a week,” said Margie Baldwin of the Tree and Parks Committee. “But then it’s back to the bottles and trash again. That’s the issue, to get people to stop throwing things out.”

Baldwin also said momentum is slowly gaining and a big push would be made in the fall as student and youth groups reform during the school year.

Department of Public Works superintendent Rob Zora said the department is putting up anti-litter signs this week around many of the roadways hit the hardest, including County and Point Roads. He also said the department would be assisting groups in collecting bagged litter and disposing of it.

“There are certain roads that gather litter because there aren’t homes around. Litterbugs just roll down their windows and throw stuff out," said Zora. "It never ceases to amaze me how people can do that.”

Chief Lincoln Miller said the Police Department would be more watchful to enforce anti-litter laws.

"The fines are quite high in the state," Miller said. "People will be charged a fine. With our role of enforcement we'll be looking more at areas with a lot of litter. We'll be making more citations."