Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell, Marian Moskowitz, and Eric Roe recognized county resident Dave Shirey and local nonprofit Recycling Services Inc. (RSI) at one of the commissioners' recent public meetings. The two are recipients of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful 2024 awards for their significant and positive efforts to keep local communities clean and beautiful.

Shirey, of New London Township, received the program's Volunteer of the Year award, and RSI received the Community Partner award. Both recipients were nominated through the county's affiliate group, Keep Chester County Beautiful.

Shirey's award notes that for the past eight years, he has organized a litter cleanup day that spans 80 locations in southern Chester County. During the event, Shirey manages more than 100 volunteers, assigning groups to specific locations and detailing what help is needed and what to do. Each year, the event grows.

RSI, located in North Coventry, volunteered to serve as the drop-off location for the county's campaign sign recycling event that was held in November 2024. Over a two-week period, RSI allowed Keep Chester County Beautiful to use its site, provided volunteers, helped unload and sort all steel and plastic collected from four other collection sites, and arranged for the items to be recycled. It is estimated that RSI collected more than 600 pounds of plastic and more than 4,000 pounds of steel.

The county commissioners presented citations to both honorees at the request of Keep Chester County Beautiful staff members Ryan Mawhinney and Carrie Conwell.

To find out more about the awards, visit https://tinyurl.com/KPB2024Awards.

For more information about Keep Chester County Beautiful, visit http://www.chescoplanning.org/Environmental/KCCB/ or search for @keepchestercountybeautiful on Facebook or Instagram.