House Concurrent Resolution 49

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING LOCKE WARD, A LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, FOR HIS DETERMINATION AND AMAZING EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE OUR CAPITAL CITY AND HONOR HIM FOR GALVANIZING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.

WHEREAS, "passionate citizen" and "man of action" are just a few of the titles used to describe Locke Ward, a life long resident of Jackson, Mississippi, who began and continues to clean the frontage road of Jackson by picking up trash and debris; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Ward's love for the City of Jackson is not just a passive adoration, but an undeniable passion for the place he has called home his entire life; and

WHEREAS, in November 2023, Mr. Ward began his clean up efforts after being troubled by watching trash slowly build up week-to-week on his route home on Frontage Road off I-55 in Jackson; and

WHEREAS, he was inspired by his past, as he knew how beautifully clean the strip of I-55 could be and wanted to return it to its glory since he has been driving I-55 his entire life; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Ward has been quoted as stating, "Basically, I kept driving by the same spot over and over again, and when I came home I told my wife one day...I said, 'I am sick and tired of looking at all this trash,' I said, 'I'm gonna clean this little area myself.' And then, to be honest, it's just kind of snowballed on me. I'm not doing this to make money. I'm doing this because I was tired of looking at all the trash."; and

WHEREAS, his dedication and commitment has yielded great results and has inspired dozens of other volunteers to work with Mr. Ward to clean our capital city; and

WHEREAS, businesses and residents in the area have also applauded him and his efforts and evidenced their own commitment by raising over $50,000 to support his efforts; and

WHEREAS, this outpour of support has motivated Mr. Ward to create a nonprofit, "Clean Up Jackson," to continue his work and use his leadership skills to galvanize more volunteers; and

WHEREAS, as further evidence of Mr. Ward's domino effect, the Mississippi Department of Transportation and the City of Jackson are now working with Mr. Ward to clean the area; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize the efforts of fine Mississippians who have put their passions for this great state to work and enhance the beautiful highway landscapes of this great state in ways that benefit everyone:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Locke Ward for his tireless efforts to use his time, talents and treasures to revitalize our capital city and honor him for galvanizing others to beautify our highways.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Locke Ward and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.