Nesquehoning officials are getting ready to sweep the streets ahead of the town’s America 250th and Nesquehoning 202nd celebrations in June and they warn that people who do not move their vehicles on the day of sweeping will be towed.

Last week, borough council announced that street sweeping is scheduled for the week of May 4 through 8. Streets will be posted ahead of the day they are to be swept and residents are asked to move their vehicles accordingly.

Council members stressed that while in the past they have mentioned possibly towing vehicles that aren’t moved, this year, they will enforce that, as well as ticket because of the events scheduled for June around America’s birthday celebration. Nesquehoning will hold a parade and festival June 13, as well as welcome Reading and Northern’s 2102 excursion and the Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy engine the same weekend.

“I think out of all the years, we have a lot of really big events coming up in this town and I think we need to really, not only set a precedence, but be proactive about getting the town cleaned up,” Councilwoman Sue Smith said. “We’re going to have so many tourists here, but we should do it regardless of whether or not we’re getting tourists.”

Council authorized police to contact towing companies to make sure they can be available that week in the event a vehicle needs to be towed.

Police Chief Brad Hess said that doing so is fine; however, the borough needs to try to stick with the schedule as close as possible.

Council President Bruce Nalesnik said that they will try and noted that crews have been authorized for overtime if needed during that week to keep on schedule.

The current schedule, weather permitting, is as follows:

• May 4: South side of Catawissa, Center and Railroad streets; Ridge Street, Loggie Road and all of Brogan.

• May 5: North side of Catawissa, Center and Railroad streets; both sides of Mill Street and Coal Street.

• May 6: All of Rhume, Willow, Locust, High streets and Mermon and Angelini avenues.

• May 7: North side of Columbus and Garibaldi; all of Diaz and Little Flower.

• May 8: South side of Columbus; all of Yard, Cedar and Laurel streets.

It is noted that the avenues in the Hauto Valley Estates will be completed as time permits.

In a related street matter, if you see a strange sweeping tool attached to a borough loader, the borough is testing a broom attachment at some of the intersections next week.

“We’re going to run it through town and do some of the intersections and see how it goes,” Nalesnik said, noting that the borough is testing it to see if they would like to purchase the attachment for the future. “If you see something odd around the streets next week, that might be it.”

Nesquehoning normally rents street sweeping equipment for the annual cleanup as it does not own its own street sweeper.