By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – Crockett resident Jonathan Barnes recently announced the formation of a group called Cleanup Crockett, a collaboration between the city and local business Demo Dudes to clean up abandoned properties or properties overgrown with tall grass and trash. The group aims to compile a list of the city’s worst eyesores and, with the help of volunteers and the city, restore those properties to their former glory, increasing the value and beauty of the city.

Barnes grew up in Crockett, but served in the Marines for five years and then came home, where he found that “civilian life was a little too hard for him.” Barnes again offered his service to his country, this time for another five years in the Army before finally adjusting to life in the real world again.

Barnes married in 2021 and moved to Crockett, although he wasn’t sure he would enjoy returning home.

“It wasn’t my first decision to come back, but now that I’m here, I love it,” Barnes said. “I’ve seen what Crockett is capable of, and even though it’s growing, it’s just a good place to live.”

Barnes, like many of us, noticed lots that had seen better days, some of them vacant, covered in tall grass, and serving as makeshift dumping grounds. He thought he could use his business and his passion for his hometown to make the town look a little nicer.

“There are a whole lot of abandoned, overgrown properties that are an eyesore to the community,” Barnes said. “The city is just overburdened and there aren’t enough people. I thought I would just take it upon myself to give back to the community and try to bring some life back into it. The idea is to clean up these properties – whether people want to live there or whether they want to sell them at some point. When they’re that overgrown, there are mice and snakes, and that affects the neighborhood, that affects the neighbors.”

Barnes has called for volunteers for a community cleanup day on Saturday, September 14, to begin the work of getting some of these properties back in order. But there is still a lot of work to be done before then. Barnes is asking neighbors to report properties that are in dire need of repair. He is asking residents to report overgrown properties to him by email (email protected) by Wednesday, August 28. Then on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, Barnes will hold a vote to decide which properties will be addressed, so residents can have a say in which properties need the most help.

“I started a demolition waste disposal company and thought this would be a good way to give back to the community – to use my business as an opportunity to do that,” Barnes said.

Offers of help, equipment, and even money have been made — and all of that is more than welcome. City officials have helped recommend properties for the list and even loaned equipment for the project while their staff works on other projects. Some properties may even have to be demolished altogether at some point, so at least a clean, empty lot remains, rather than a lot that lowers the value of surrounding homes.

“In a community, we all have to work together. There are so many divisions in this community and in order for us to come together and make this city what it can be, we have to come together and put our time and effort into it,” Barnes concluded. “Without each other, we’re just staying in the same place. We have to work together to make it better. It’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of the place they live in. While the city is doing its best, it’s not on them alone, everyone has to work hand in hand to make this happen.”

Greg Ritchie can be reached at (email protected)