April 28 – Saturday, May 17th from 8am-to Noon is an important date for all of us in town-It is the annual Spring Clean Up Day for the Town of Highland-or as we have affectionately called it for years- it’s “Dump Day!” What that means is you get to bring up to one pickup truck of junk you want to dispose of up to the Highland Highway facility at 719 State Route 55 (behind the Senior Center) for absolutely free. At the Highway Department facility there will be several Department guys available to help you haul your junk to the several onsite dumpsters.

There are a few ground rules you will need to follow, the first one being is to go to the Town Clerk’s office and sign up with your address and get a pass card that is turned in when you bring your truckload to the Highway Department. There are some items they will not take such as bed or couch mattresses, tires, no brush or yard waste, stumps or rocks, no household garbage no paint cans, oil products, pesticides, or any other hazardous waste. Also, all drums and tanks must be completely empty and cut open and crushed-and propane tanks will not be accepted. No fuel tanks or oil drums will be accepted. Propane tanks twenty gallons or less will need to be deposited at the designated landfill location( in Monticello.) Any old or broken appliances and scrap metal must still be brought to the Highland Transfer Station and disposed of for free during the Station’s regular business hours. This includes any refrigeration units, computers, monitors. and scrap metal and televisions and other electronics. Clean Up Day is a great opportunity to tidy up your house, garage, shed, and get rid of a lot of old stuff that may be causing a hazard to you and your neighbors. The Dump Day passes are already available in the Town Clerk’s Office and I went in, signed in with my address and our Acting Town Clerk Melissa Denlinger, who could not be more accommodating and helpful, told me that the Cleanup Day is “such a great opportunity to clean out our sheds and garages for free” gave me my pass and the instruction sheet. If you need more information, you can go to the Town website or to the Town Clerk’s office during the regular business hours or call Melissa at 845-557-6085.

When researching this column, I remembered that around the time of Dump Day, one of my favorite events happens and that is the Mahogany Ridge Hunting and Fishing Club has their wonderful pulled pork dinner so I got in touch with Judy Flieger about it. I have gone to several of their events in Highland Lake and always had a great time. Judy told me that the date for this year’s dinner has been changed to Saturday, June 7th Also she told me that on June 21st the Lumberland Ladies Auxiliary will be doing a big flea market. So, two upcoming events to put on your calendars. I will list all the details for the pulled pork dinners and the flea market when they become available.