MURFREESBORO – Crews from Meyers Anderson, a subsidiary of Tar Heels Specialties Inc., continue to remove debris in the town of Murfreesboro following the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel.

The contract company, which initiated mobilization of its equipment October 17 in preparation for the daunting task, began removing debris in the Holly Hill Road area on Monday, October 20.

Tar Heels Operations Manager Henry Elmore explained that the company had assigned two crews to the task, one monitor per crew from FEMA and the town, all of which were required to attend a training class prior to beginning that Monday.

Both the monitors and Tar Heel Inc. have been taking photos to ensure proper documentation should any issues arise during the collection process.

According to Public Works Director Gene Byrd, crews have been working steadily and have retrieved approximately 9,200 cubic yards of debris so far. &uot;The first pass is still in progress but things are finally coming together,&uot; said Byrd.

&uot;Tar Heel experienced a minor set back with some equipment that needed to be repaired and had to forfeit working this past Saturday, but they are up and running and back on schedule.

&uot;They devoted the entire weekend to grinding up tree limbs and branches in an effort to eliminate the growing mountains of debris piling up at the disposal site.&uot;

Byrd commented that approximately 30-40 percent of the town’s debris has already been removed with crews likely to complete their first pass this Friday.

&uot;We’re getting more coordinated as we continue the process,&uot; said Byrd.

&uot;The first week everyone is trying to get on the same page, but things are going smoothly now. It takes time for things to get regulated, it’s just part of the process.&uot;

A total of three passes have been planned over the next several weeks and are estimated to reach completion sometime in mid November barring any unforeseen circumstances.

&uot;We appreciate the patience and cooperation from the residents of Murfreesboro,&uot; said Byrd. &uot;The clean-up effort is going really well, so we just ask for that continued spirit as we work towards the completion of this task.&uot;

Residents are encouraged to avoid placing debris near water meters, utility poles, fire hydrants or any other fixtures as risk for damage is increased. They are also reminded not to place yard debris in trash bags, as contractors are unable to pick up anything in plastic out of preservation for their machines. Workers will continue, as agreed, rain or shine, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Debris will be delivered to Beatty Irrigation Waste Water Treatment.

Further information or questions should be directed to the Public Works Department or the Town of Murfreesboro.