By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham residents will have two chances to get into the swing of spring cleaning over the next few weeks, as the city is sponsoring its annual cleanup day and Pelham Pride Day.

The spring cleanup day will be held on Saturday, April 14, and will allow Pelham residents to discard items not usually picked up by Allied Waste – the city’s garbage provider.

During the spring cleanup day, Allied Waste will pick up items no longer than 8 feet and weighing less than 700 pounds. The company will offer curbside pickup for items such as grills, push lawnmowers with gas tanks removed, furniture, bicycles and other items.

The pickup day will not include refrigerators, hazardous waste, riding lawnmowers, tires and other chemicals or heavy appliances. For a complete list of items included in the pickup day, visit Pelhamonline.com.

All items should be placed by the curb by 6 a.m.

The spring cleanup day also will feature document shredding at Pelham City Hall from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and the Shelby County Landfill on Shelby County 70 will waive its dumping fees for residents all day.

On Saturday, April 21, the city will hold Pelham Pride Day from 9-11 a.m. to beautify several areas of the city.

Service projects will include adding mulch to flower beds at the Linda Nolen Learning Center, cleaning up the campus and roads surrounding Pelham High School, painting utility sheds at Riverchase Middle School, painting the playground and adding four-square and hopscotch courts to the blacktop at Valley Elementary and adding mulch to flower beds at Valley Intermediate.

Oak Mountain Missions on U.S. 31 will also be accepting donations of gently used clothing and non-perishable food items. Volunteers can work in the organization’s food pantry, sort donations and work to beautify the charity’s campus.

Children 10 and younger will meet and clean Pelham City Park.

Pelham Pride Day will also feature document shredding at City Hall and electronic recycling at City Park.

To volunteer for Pelham Pride Day, call Paula Holly at 620-6403.

“We’ve had a great response so far,” Holly said on April 11. “We will be out in force beautifying the city that day.”