Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Operation Cleanup gets early start in Gurdon

"Operation Clean-up" is under way and those needing the yard cleaning service may call coordinator Delton Simpson at: (870) 353-6733.

"I was going to wait until April, but our news brief got us some customer requests so I started now," he said. "We can clean the yard and ready it for mowing all over the county. We even mow for some of our clients. The clean-up is free."

Simpson has about 150 workers in the current "Operation Clean-up," with the ages ranging from 4 years old to 55, but most of the workers are teenagers. The program starts when the weather breaks in the spring and goes until cold weather in November or so.

"We will be having a cook-out on Saturday, March 12, at the old middle school gym, and then we will be cleaning up around a daycare on Bell Street. It will start at 8 a.m. and end whenever we are done," Simpson said. "Marshal Don Childres has always been cooperative with our program. He gives us the guys that do community service during the week, as students are more available on weekends."

Simpson said the program is available for both genders and all races. He said the idea is to create an atmosphere of work and establish healthy relationships.

He said the crews get to four or five yards a month. Some crews need more supervision than others, but Simpson makes sure to be with crew members when necessary. He said some former teens are now supervisors in industry or have joined the military and are in Iraq.

"There is a lot of responsibility to this. I ride the streets at night sometimes and keep up with my kids," he said. "If I see one starting to get in trouble, I do everything I can to nip it in the bud. I would like to thank folks like the Cabe Foundation for financing a lot of our activities over the years. We get a lot of help from so many people in Gurdon. This is a very giving town."

Simpson said he started this program in 1990, though such government help efforts like PRIDE and Champs Leadership. The school system has always cooperated with him. He took the Champs training out of Pine Bluff, along with school counseling personnel, in 1994 and 1995.

PRIDE is Personal Relationships and Daily Efforts.

He said the original effort was stared by himself and Ricky and Alfonzo Ross. Ricky has moved from here, but Alfonzo is still in the area.

"We started our efforts to help the youth in 1990 with 10 or 12 cleaning up the streets of Gurdon," he said. "Then on the weekends, I had a grill and we'd fire it up. I began to realize that some of these kids did not get a hot meal if school was not in session.

"I started working with tardy kids and ones that might be leaning toward crack sales. If I noticed any kid in trouble, I would intervene to change a path. It is all about trying to provide guidance and show a kid there can be a better life."

Simpson said today's "Operation Clean-up" and efforts in general to help Gurdon's youth has several noted leaders. Coordinators include: Winfred Burton and Delbert Montgomery. Montgomery helps organize events and cleaning of the gym.

David Williams is an advisor for the program; Johnny Harris, of the Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, is the spiritual advisor and overseer; Quincy Dickens is the coordinator of basketball court upcoming events; and Deonco Houston works at the gym with the youth as well.

Simpson said, "This past Saturday, Feb. 26, we had an organized cook-out, and nearly all 150 came on out. The cook-outs are by the old gym. We clean yards toward Arkadelphia and have done yards near Sparkman as well."

Simpson, who grew up in the Vaden community by Sparkman, came back home from a tour in Vietnam, which extended from 1969-70, "and I went through a lot of counseling when I came home."

His military career lasted three years, when he earned a purple heart and bronze star.

"I get a lot out of working with the children," he said. "I get at least as much from this program from them as they do for me."

Delbert Montgomery was cleaning the gym Wednesday evening with some local teenagers. He said basketball evenings are getting ready to start. Normal gym times to be open are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, with Sunday evening open from time to time for older players.

"Some nights, when it is not basketball season, we will have a girls only time at the gym," he said. "It gets pretty cold in the gym during the winter."

Simpson said he continues to receive numerous food and money donations from Gurdon and the surrounding area to keep the program going.

"This is a good area as far as loving their kids and wanting them to feel love," he said. "When the businesses and residents here know it is going for the youth, they get right in there and help. I am very grateful to all of them."