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Broken streetlights, unmowed grass, weeds, overgrown foliage and the generally unkempt state of Damascus is too much for long-time resident Sue Miller, so she is organizing others to help her clean up the community.

"Damascus looks horrible," she said. "The whole town is really needing a lot of attention."

While reduced county maintenance is an issue, part of the problem is a lack of community spirit, her daughter Mindy Miller said.

"I've been here since the late 1970s," Sue Miller said. "It's a great community for the most part. Everybody seems to love Damascus."

To rekindle community pride and restore the town's appearance, Miller and others, including several landscaping companies, are organizing Clean Up Damascus Day. Miller would like more businesses, families and individuals to join the effort.

Clean Up Day will be held Oct. 23, during the county's Community Service Day.

"That's awesome," said Keith Compton, chief of highway services at the county's transportation department, when he heard about the event.

County crews have been focused in recent weeks on storm cleanup and have gotten behind in their normal maintenance routines, he said. He welcomes help from residents.

Although his mowing budget is has been reduced, some mowing is now done by county employees instead of contractors. Mowing is as frequent as it was last year, Compton said, but is costing the county less.

"Sometimes when the economic situation tightens up, it requires everybody to work smarter," he said.

The cleanup's organizers walked through Damascus recently, starting at the library, to inventory maintenance needs.

They saw dry-rotted benches outside the senior center, tons of debris, untrimmed hedges, lots of weeds and a few dead trees, Sue Miller said. As they continued up Main Street they saw weeds coming out of manholes, and curbs and gutters damaged during snow shoveling.

Clean up Damascus Day will start at 7 a.m. with coffee and donuts. It will end with music and food. Volunteers are welcome to work for one hour or 10, Sue Miller said.

Students will be able to earn community service credits, said Nancy Hislop, community development manager at the Upcounty Regional Services Center.

Organizers plan to meet regularly to map out their work and gather materials. Anyone who wants to help is invited.

ssingerbart@gazette.net

-Oct. 23, starting at 7 a.m.

-Next meeting: 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Damascus Library, 9701 Main St.

-Learn more at www.cleanupdamascus.com