Harlan Kirgan
Donna Baltakis, director of Keep Eunice Beautiful, was recognized as the Affiliate Director of the Year by Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
Keep Eunice Beautiful also received one of 25 Circle of Excellence award presented in the state. The award included $500.
Among those present for the award banquet in Baton Rouge on Sept. 20 were Helen Lowman, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, and Susan Russell, director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
Baltakis said, “I don’t do this alone” as she joined Mayor Scott Fontenot, and Keep Eunice Beautiful Board members David Simpson and Jacqueline Vallare for a photograph at City Hall on Monday.
“I was bragging to everyone about Scott,” she said as she explained many Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliates said their top complaints are lack of government support and an ongoing onslaught of litter.
“We feel like we take one step forward and two steps back trying to keep up with litter...” she said.
“I think what got it was our Neighbor Helping Neighbor project that we did with the MLK people,” she said.
David Simpson, a Keep Eunice Beautiful Board member, nominated Baltakis for the director award. His nomination included:
“In 2017, Donna Baltakis initiated and organized ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors,’ an outreach program that targets specific litter problems identified when KEB does the annual Litter Index. For the first project, KEB joined with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Community Committee to clean up a homeowner’s yard that that was filled with trash, construction debris, old vehicles, and an almost incredible assortment of other junk. With support and participation from churches, businesses, and other groups, volunteers worked several Saturdays removing literally tons of junk, cleaning the yard, painting the house, and beautifying the property. Through publicity about ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors,’ Donna wants to show others in the community what can be accomplished to improve neighborhoods through cooperative efforts.”
Baltakis gave credit to the community collaboration for the success of the three to four week Neighbors Helping Neighbors project in May and June.
Fontenot said of Baltakis, “We have the same vision. It is a clean Eunice. It is easy to work with somebody who has the same vision as you.”
The litter problem in Eunice “... has been around for as long as I can remember. I’m not going to stop until we get the job done,” Fontenot said.
Baltakis and Fontenot said the next project is to enlist each church congregation to take at least one day a month to remove litter from a two-block area around the churches.
Baltakis said, “We’ve got to take pride in this wonderful town. Everyone loves Eunice. They love everything about it. Then why don’t you take pride in it to keep it clean.”
Fontenot said litter and other debris adds to drainage problems in the city.
Simpson’s nominating letter also included, “In 2011, Donna Baltakis approached the mayor of Eunice about establishing Keep Eunice Beautiful, and, with the support of city government, she recruited members and fulfilled the requirements to gain affiliate status. Since then, she has spent many, many hours fulfilling her responsibilities as director, compiling reports, participating in webinars, attending conferences, meeting with government officials and community leaders, successfully proposing changes to improve litter ordinances, addressing school classes, clubs, and church groups, and promoting anti-litter activities through the media — all on an unpaid volunteer basis.”