Picks of the litter
BRIAN WALKER/Press Skip Priest, left, who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives for four terms, was named the Adopt-a-Highway Volunteer of the Year for the Idaho Transportation Department’s District 1 region on Thursday. Priest was presented the award from Jim Coleman, who is the Idaho Transportation Board’s District 1 member.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
COEUR d'ALENE — You might say they're the picks of the litter when it comes to cleaning up along our highways.
Keith and Sandy Hawkins were honored on Thursday as the District 1 Group of the Year and Skip Priest Volunteer of the Year for the Idaho Transportation Department's Adopt-a-Highway program.
Jim Coleman, the Idaho Transportation Board's District 1 member, presented the awards at ITD's Coeur d'Alene office during the board's monthly meeting.
Priest logged 125 hours of service and picked up 7,052 pounds of litter in 2016. So far this year, with litter pickup season still on, he has put in 118 hours and picked up 7,035 pounds.
"Skip has definitely shown devotion, commitment and ongoing initiative," Coleman said.
Priest's service area runs from Higgens Point to Sherman Avenue and from Sherman westbound to the Northwest Boulevard exit of Interstate 90.
As a member of the Coeur d'Alene Rotary, Priest contributes to that nonprofit's highway adoption of U.S. 95 from mileposts 429 to 431.
Priest moved to the Coeur d'Alene area in 2015 after public service in Washington. He was a Federal Way City Council member for six years, a member of the Washington House of Representatives for four terms and was the first elected mayor of Federal Way.
The Hawkinses have tended to Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive for the past 16 years.
The couple have contributed 524 total volunteer hours and picked up 13,055 pounds of litter over the years.
"They have faithfully performed several litter pickups throughout the year on their 6-mile section," Coleman said.
The Adopt-a-Highway program was supported by 229 organizations in District 1 in 2016 that contributed 5,829 volunteer hours and picked up 175,564 pounds of litter.