'Moveout Madness' program helps students discard unwanted stuff

Western Washington University and the City of Bellingham are partnering to sponsor the fourth annual “WWU Moveout Madness” event in several neighborhoods near the university June 4 through 8.

The program will target neighborhoods with high student populations, including Happy Valley, Sehome, York, South Hill and Samish. One collection point will be set up in each neighborhood, and students are encouraged to bring their reusable household items and waste to that point for free collection and disposal.

The neighborhood collection sites, which will be monitored by City of Bellingham Public Works staff to ensure that no hazardous or garden/yard waste is disposed of in the dumpsters, will be operational from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 8 at the following collection sites:

• Happy Valley Neighborhood – gravel parking lot, 26th and Douglas streets
• Sehome Neighborhood – Laurel Park, Indian and Laurel streets
• York Neighborhood – Franklin Park, 400 block of Whatcom Street
• South Hill Neighborhood – Armory Building, N. State and Pine streets
• Samish Neighborhood – Lincoln Creek Transportation Center parking lot.

In the past, neighborhoods with high densities of student residents have been littered with improperly discarded items at the end of each academic year and the close of spring quarter when many students leave the area for the summer. The WWU Moveout Madness program provides an opportunity for students to donate reusable items and dispose of landfill waste properly. Because of the success of the program the past three years, the university and city are once again offering this service.