On May 4 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. the City of Owen offered another spring clean up day to its residents. City employees, Brandon Wilson, Chad Smith, Tracy Rau, Matthew Bottlemy and new to the crew Austin Aull helped residents upload their unwanted items. The city rented a large dumpster and collected most items for free. There was a charge for tires (small $3, car $5, semi $15 and tractor $15), anything with freon was $25 and TV/computer screens were charged $1.50 per inch.

Many residents of Owen look forward to this day to get rid of old tires, TVs, mattresses, broken furniture, things that have perhaps built up for years or at least from the last Owen City Wide Cleanup which has now become an annual event. Some interesting deposits on this spring clean day were several bicycles, an old cast iron sewing machine, a couple gas grills, a stack of old mattresses, a truckload of kitchen chairs, and several boxes of junk from the old city hall basement. One person’s junk turned out to be other people’s treasures… one resident brought junk and returned home with new, nicer junk.

Unfortunately, the collection was down this year and the city may have to rethink how to do this event next year. “We didn’t do the greatest,” Owen City Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Rau reported.  “After we pay to get rid of the TVs and the tires and get the money for the scrap metal, we will be lucky to pay for the one dumpster.” She hopes more people will take advantage of this service so that the city will be able to offer it again.