Homeowners, property owners, rental owners and other community members and officials worked together Saturday morning to clean up Hill Avenue in south Tifton.

Melissa Chevers, who represents District 2 on the Tift County Board of Commissioners, is heading up the efforts for the One Street at a Time campaign. She said she is “disheartened” by the state of some of South Tifton’s streets and has vowed to put forth efforts to clean them up.

Chevers said the One Street at a Time program began during her election campaign last year when she spent a lot of time going door-to-door in the District 2 area and saw first-hand the state of some of Tifton’s streets.

“It was disheartening because, back when I first got married, Hill Avenue was the street I lived on. Back then it was a nice street, it was clean and I saw a big difference,” Chevers said.

At that point, Chevers said she adopted her campaign slogan, “one street at a time,” and vowed that if she was elected a county commissioner, Hill Avenue would be the first street she would work to bring back to life.

Chevers said she was “amazed” at the support the program received; both homeowners and residents of Hill Avenue and those who lived outside of the street showed up to participate.

“The county manager, Jim Carter, and Richard Burns, superintendent at the Road Department were the first to get there.” Chevers said. “I was just amazed that they would come out and help me.”

She also said the group had help from one special volunteer, an 8-year-old boy who didn’t live on the street but offered to help.

“I thought it was just great. He was so eager and he was really trying,” Chevers said. “it was just a joy to see all these people coming together and helping us out.”

Chevers said that the next street on the One Street at a Time campaign will be James Avenue. A date and time have not yet been set.

To contact reporter Chivaun Perez, call 382-4321.