Some people get their names on hospitals, parks or public buildings.
Then there`s Jerry and Marlene Hurt. Their names are on seven-tenths of a mile on Interstate 44 here. Jerry and Marlene didn`t pull any strings. They just picked up a lot of bottles, hubcaps and mufflers.
The couple promised to keep that stretch of interstate clean. The Missouri Highway Department honored them with this sign: ”ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY Next .7 Miles Adopted-Litter Control-Jerry and Marlene Hurt.”
”We thought it was going to be easy,” Jerry said. ”We didn`t realize there would be so much. We picked up 10 bags of trash the first time. Then we went back three weeks later and got another eight bags.”
Why did you adopt that strange number: .7 of a mile?
”We wanted a section close to home,” Jerry said.
”After half a mile,” said Marlene, ”you get a sign. Our sign says .7 of a mile, but we clean both sides, so it`s really 1.4 miles.”
Marlene didn`t want the sign just for the glory. ”Before it was up, we looked like bag people. I was afraid the neighbors would think we were out scrounging. Now people see us working and yell `Yeah!` to cheer us on.”
”Usually, organizations adopt a highway,” Jerry said. ”A church group, scout troop or something. A lot of people can do a section in an hour or so. It took the two of us more than three hours.
”The highway department gave us a plaque, five orange plastic safety vests and 175 yellow plastic bags.” He made the sticks to spear trash.
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They also got warnings to watch for snakes. The first time out, Jerry yelled, ”A snake!” It turned out to be a fan belt.
”People also told us to wear flea collars on our legs to keep the ticks off,” Marlene said. ”We are NOT doing that. The big gloves and orange vests are bad enough.”
So why are they doing this?
”You get pleasure out of it,” Jerry said.
”Speak for yourself,” Marlene said.
They`ve found car parts, pink panties, poetry, sneakers, gloves and a nickel.
”You get very possessive about your stretch of highway,” Jerry said.
”When you drive by, you think, `Who threw that paper on my highway?` ”