Artist Phil Hill, who lives on Dean Street, created a 12 by 16 inch oil painting dedicated to the borough employees that make up the West Chester sanitation crew, writes Bill Rettew for The Daily Local News.

Called “Street Collection Heroes,” Hill presented the original work to Public Works Department Director Don Edwards and gave the crew their own framed versions at a recent borough council meeting.

“Our trash and recyclable collection crews serve a noble profession that keeps our community safe from disease and free from the scourge of litter,” said Hill.

He also noted that they are up and hard at work before many people slip out of bed to have their morning coffee, but said it was important for residents to thank them if possible.

Borough councilman Brian McGinnis worked as a former trash collector and said, “The painting is an extraordinary testament to the dedication of the members of our Public Works Department… These men provide us with an invaluable public service by keeping our town clean.”

Author Charlotte Bridges wrote a history of West Chester garbage collection, The West Chester Board of Health 1885-1960, which was published by West Chester University in 1999. The Board of Health was established in 1885 and one of its first orders was adding garbage vessels, also known as garbage cans — a move that made it easier for trash collectors of the past and today.

Read more about Phil Hill’s painting of the West Chester sanitation crew in The Daily Local News.

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