By John E. Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
ALLIANCE, Neb. - Events happen all the time in Alliance without anyone noticing. That’s not true. Of course the people directly involved know, at the very least. Yet, it can be a little embarrassing to not “be in the know."
Tom, one of a few members of our Keep Alliance Beautiful crew over 80 years old, asked a couple weeks ago if he could pull one of our trailers in the parade. My first thought was “sure," then it occurred to me I had no clue what parade he was talking about. He said the parade is hosted annually by Highland Park Care Center to celebrate Older Americans Month (OAM).
Though Tom soon realized he would be out of town that day, Wednesday, May 13, I mentioned it to Josh, our recycling coordinator. He was all over the opportunity and within days our 25-foot flatbed was tricked out with re-used cardboard panels on the front and sides. As I write this the left side has been painted by Kathy, our former executive director, with Emma, KAB education coordinator, and others painting the other sides and finishing decorations sourced from other recyclables at the center.
Though I do not recall hearing about the parade before, it is a semi-informal event where anyone can line up by the high school and participate. It will be exciting to see how many people have heard about it as Alliance honors its “older” residents. Nationally, the Administration for Community Living has championed the celebration of OAM since 1963. Babies born that year will be 63 sometime in 2026, still older than most but maybe not ready to celebrate OAM.
Retired people have been the foundation of the KAB Recycling Center since before I started there seven years ago. Over that time it has not been unusual at all to see an 80-year-old man outwork a co-worker 60 years his junior. I have admired the work ethic of these people who contributed decades in their respective jobs and careers, often jobs that demanded manual labor day in and day out. There is a lot to learn about the job itself from them and, more importantly, about their lives and why they chose our crew.
“Older Americans” also fits many of the patrons we serve since recycling is a major component of what we do at KAB. Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, is commonly touted as the generation that recycles the most percentage-wise. We currently serve more than 100 households on our free curbside route for seniors. Older residents from Box Butte County and the surrounding area also frequent our trailers and take advantage of business hours at the recycling center where we are happy to unload anyone who pulls up to the door.
We do not watch as people come in and out on the north side of the lot in Alliance or at the Hemingford trailers, however it seems that the seniors I have noticed tend to be organized.
Separating and depositing clean recyclables is a welcome habit to our employees. I have admired the lengths certain people go to with their own, sometimes custom-made, bins. One lady always comes with her husband, who usually waits in the pickup, and slips in nonchalantly as she puts everything where it goes.
We encourage people to Keep Alliance Beautiful, yet everyone should take extra time this month to honor our friends and neighbors who helped make the community what it is today.