News 12 at 6 o'clock, July 1, 2009

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- In recent months, more local groups meeting up... cleaning up... and mowing down public parks and roads. Most recently, business owners along Gordon Highway gathered, trash bags in hand, to clean up the massive State owned roadway.

"When you look at the cutbacks the State is making, they are demanding that local governments pick up the slack...but there is only so much the government can do. We have already heavily taxed the people. It is up to the citizens to help cleanup the community," says Augusta-Richmond County Commissioner Joe Bowles.

Even though the Golf Hall of Fame Gardens and the Gordon Highway areas are both State owned, local park leaders say we could see similar situations with community parks as well.

"As resources become tougher and tougher to come by, maintaining over 60 parks in our County, I see this as an advantage and a way to continue services," adds Tom Beck of the Augusta Parks and Recreation Department. Beck says the county is not in as serious danger as many State Parks, but the pressure is on, and volunteer groups are are appealing alternative.

For those eager volunteers, there will be no shortage of work in the coming months. Leaders with Georgia Historic Sites tell us they will be calling on even more volunteers to keep public sites operational.