VALLEY GRANDE — Tools to pick up garbage and litter, as well as trash bags surrounded a table at Valley Grande City Hall Monday, as city council members discussed final details for Saturday’s planned citywide cleanup.

The cleanup is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at points throughout the city and is scheduled to end at noon at Valley Grande Walking Trail.

Council members said they were pleased by the positive responses from the public so far.

“I talked to some of the churches this past week and the want to participate is overwhelming,” said council member Donna Downs, who helped to coordinate the event. “I was just surprised about everyone … one guy told me, ‘I got someone putting flyers in my mailbox talking about this,’ and to me, that is just great to see the participation of people wanting to do … everything is ready for Saturday.”

Downs said International Paper has donated gloves and vests and Zeigler has donated hotdogs.

A meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside city hall for team captains and to see what areas still need to be covered. Downs said gloves, bags and other items for the pickup, will be distributed during the meeting.

“Tuesday night we will assign the areas, we need people to be here,” Downs said. “When you have people willing to go wherever they’re needed, that means a lot. The weather is going to be great and in three hours, I think we’ll all be surprised at what we can do because this community does pull together.”

And for those who aren’t assigned to areas, Downs said there is still a way they can get involved. Individuals can contact city hall at 872-0104 to have their yard trash picked up. Only road garbage will be accepted.

“Even if you’re not able to pick up in any other area but just in your front yard, call city hall and tell them that you’ve got trash … put it in front of the mailbox,” Downs said. “Call Sonya (Ross) … and Tom (Lee) and Larry Hobson is going to have a trailer and they’ll be going around Valley Grande picking up trash.”

Valley Grande Mayor Tom Lee said the council is being considered for a Community Development Block Grant of $450,000 by the Alabama Tombigbee Commission. The grant, along with the $212,500 the council has already received, will help in modernizing the Overlook Hills housing complex’s discharge and collection system.

Representatives from Alabama Tombigbee and city engineer Ray Hogg will discuss the grant at the next council meeting scheduled for April 2 at 6 p.m.