A Labor of Love: Trinity County Volunteer Keeps Highways Clean

For more than a decade, Mario Angelone has been doing his part to keep Trinity County beautiful, one stretch of highway at a time.

Angelone has participated in Caltrans' Adopt-A-Highway Program since 2012, adopting five sections along State Route 299 and State Route 3 in Trinity County. But to Angelone, they aren't simply stretches of roadway. Each one carries the name of someone special to him.

After living in Trinity County since 1980, Angelone said he had driven past Adopt-A-Highway signs countless times. With a deep appreciation for the place he calls home and a desire to help keep it clean, he eventually decided it was time to get involved.

"I kept seeing the signs," Angelone said. "I'm passionate about Trinity County and keeping it clean, so I called."

He started by adopting a section and naming it after his son. Then, he realized he needed one for his daughter, too. Another adopted section followed, and as his family grew, so did his commitment to the program. Angelone eventually adopted three additional sections, naming each after his grandchildren.

Today, he heads out approximately four times a year to clean his adopted sections. He makes a point of completing a cleanup in late spring, just before Trinity County's busy tourist season, and again around September, when summer visitors have headed home.

Before each cleanup, Angelone stops by the Caltrans Weaverville Maintenance Station to pick up supplies. When the work is done, he brings the collected bags of trash back to the yard for disposal or leaves them along the roadway to later be collected by the local maintenance crew.

Angelone takes pride in seeing the results of his work. He often photographs the bags of trash he collects and shares them on social media, hoping his efforts might encourage someone else to adopt a section of highway or simply think twice before littering.

"If people are aware, maybe they won't throw their trash out," Angelone said.

That awareness has certainly made an impression on his own family. Angelone said his grandchildren know all about their Papa's efforts to keep Trinity County clean, so much so that they'll call each other out if someone drops a piece of trash on the ground.

"I've created some awareness, and I like that," he said.

Angelone's commitment to his community extends well beyond his five adopted highway sections. Now retired following a career in social services, Angelone spends his time fishing and working with a local nonprofit, and finding ways to give back has long been important to him.

In 2014, he combined his passion for keeping Trinity County clean with another opportunity to help local families. Angelone organized a fundraiser benefiting the Human Response Network's shoe program, which provides shoes to school-age children in need. His challenge was to pick up trash for 36 hours, with community members pledging $5 for every mile he cleaned. By the end of the effort, Angelone had raised $800 for the program.

For Angelone, however, picking up litter has never felt like just another chore.

"It's nice to be out there. It's soothing," he said, becoming emotional as he reflected on the years he has spent caring for the highways near his home. "There's something about it that you just love."

The impact of Angelone's efforts extends beyond cleaner roadsides. Adopt-A-Highway volunteers provide valuable support to Caltrans maintenance crews by reducing the amount of time employees need to spend collecting roadside litter, allowing them to focus on other critical maintenance and safety operations.

Weaverville Maintenance Supervisor Micah Crockett said the dedication shown by Angelone and other Adopt-A-Highway volunteers throughout the district makes a meaningful difference for maintenance crews.

"Mario's dedication to these highways and to his community is something we truly appreciate," Crockett said. "Every time an Adopt-A-Highway volunteer goes out and cleans their section, that's time our crews can spend focused on other important maintenance and safety operations. We're incredibly thankful for Mario and for all of the volunteers across Trinity County and District 2 who take pride in our highways and help us keep them clean."

After more than a decade, five adopted sections and countless bags of roadside litter, Angelone would love to see even more people experience the same sense of ownership and pride he has found through the program.

"I wish every section was taken," he said.

For Angelone, those five stretches of highway are more than Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing the names of his children and grandchildren. They're a reflection of his family, his community and a simple belief that taking care of the place you call home is worth the effort.