MURFREESBORO – During rite of spring cleaning many folks come across some unwanted household items.

That old broken toaster that was never tossed or the coffee table that didn’t sell in the last garage sale.

Now the Town of Murfreesboro is willing to take those unwanted household items in a statewide effort called Litter Sweep.

The Murfreesboro Public Works Department is offering a drop off site for citizens to leave their surplus household items in dumpsters in front of the Public Works building located on Sycamore Street.

The drop off site will be open to the public from April 14-28 during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mayor Lynn Johnson noted there will be two receptacles where different types of items can be place, one for household items and another for steel.

Public Works Superintendent Gene Byrd said any household item will be accepted, from furniture to appliances. Byrd said no tires will be accepted.

“We’ll take anything except garbage or solid waste,” he said.

Byrd said the service is free and assistance will be provided for those who cannot lift heavy objects.

“If there is no one there to help just leave it beside the dumpster and we’ll take care of it,” he said.

Also as a part of Litter Sweep, the department is looking for a few good volunteers to help with a little bit of spring cleaning around the city limits.

The volunteers will help pick up litter on the side of the state maintained roads leading in and out of Murfreesboro up to the city limit, including NC 11, US 158, US 258 and Union Street.

Byrd said anyone age 12 and over can participate in the clean up and children under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Litter Sweep is a biannual (held in the spring and fall) effort by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

Each year, NCDOT offers cash awards to those volunteers and/or groups who find unusual items while participating in the project.

Past local winners include the Lake Gaston Garden Club out of Henrico, which took home the second place prize last year after finding a can of dehydrated water.

In 2005, Halifax Academy’s Beta Club from Roanoke Rapids took top honors after finding counterfeit cash.

Anyone interested in participating can contact Byrd at 398-4888, ext. 1.