Carbondale's Citywide Community Cleanup Program was launched successfully last week as more than a way to pick up litter and improve overgrown lawns and rundown property.

The eight-week, $250,000 program will clean up the community as never before. Along the way, it's employing 100 teenagers and college students at above minimum wage and teaching them real-life, real-work skills.

Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole proposed the program in his annual state of the city address in November. Critics scoffed at the idea, thinking the price was too high, before it was approved by the city council in January. The cleanup crews work from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and will participate in workshops, with occasional guest speakers, on rainy days.

"The development of these young people is as important as the cleanup," Cole said. "We are employing 100 kids that have honest jobs for the summer. Without the program, what would they be doing? For some, the answer would be nothing."

Carbondale's return on investment will be substantial. The money being earned will be recycled into the local economy. And the trash collected and eyesores removed will polish the city's image in the eyes of visitors, especially parents of SIUC students and executives of companies looking at Carbondale. Trash and unsightly neighborhoods make the worst possible impression.

The passion for a cleaner Southern Illinois has taken root in recent years. Paul Restivo, director of SIUC's Center for Environmental Health & Safety, has been a driving force behind the Beautification of Southern Illinois campaign. In April, Beautify Southern Illinois joined forces with the Illinois Department of Transportation for the first statewide litter cleanup day. In October, the group will team up with Shawnee National Forest and the Sierra Club, among others, to spruce the eastern half of the forest.

"Cleanup campaigns have an economic impact as well as an impact on aesthetics," Restivo said. "If you're walking at the Garden of the Gods or Giant City Park and see trash on the trail, it's a negative experience, and you might not come back. We're a naturally beautiful area. To defile such a naturally beautiful area with trash is an insult."

Volunteer groups and public officials have embraced beautification projects throughout Southern Illinois.

"There's a movement afoot," Restivo said, "and it's not just being driven by us or by Carbondale. From Shawneetown to Chester, there are active volunteer groups, church groups, Boys and Girl Scouts who are adopting stretches of highway. A lot of people are doing their part, and it helps. It's all over the region. It's a spontaneous thing."

In Williamson County, commissioner Brent Gentry is organizing another free dump day for residents June 17. The first in March at SI Bowl in Herrin filled six industrial-sized dumpsters in two hours. Last weekend, Williamson County offered a place to take old tires for recycling. Residents turned in more than 30,000.

"People have realized from an economic, environmental and safety standpoint, we need Williamson County to be clean," Gentry said. "We want to show everyone that we take it seriously. So far, we've been extremely successful. But we're only scratching the surface. We can do a lot more."

In Sesser, Mayor Ned Mitchell has made neatness a priority. The Franklin County town has hired a code inspector and will cite property owners who do not comply with standards. A community service program has allowed juvenile offenders to pick up trash in the town, and it's making a positive impact for visitors at Rend Lake who visit Main Street and the Sesser Opera House.

"We've concentrated on weeds and mowing this year, too. We want property to be well maintained," Mitchell said. "We're a small community, and we want to attract residents from places like Carbondale, Marion and Mount Vernon. We want to be a bedroom community for those places now and in the future. To do that, we have to emphasize the cleanliness of the community and the safety of it. A lot of people visit Rend Lake and come to Sesser. We want the town to look good."

Southern Illinois is looking good - and will be looking better. The push to keep clean of trash and debris off the streets, roads and highways has made a difference. The efforts, from a $250,000 initiative in Carbondale to volunteer efforts throughout the region, should make you proud of your own backyard.