Lazy few trash up the image of community

Frontiersman Editorial Board

It's spring clean-up time in the Valley again. The annual bumper drag is a joint effort by the borough and the National Guard to haul at least some of the junk cars, and other scrap metal items, out of cluttered yards, and community clean-up campaigns fill bags of trash to overflowing. The people who donate their time and effort to make the Valley look better deserve our gratitude.

Unfortunately, trash begins to sprout up again as soon as the bags are put away. Some people make an effort to keep their own yards, and their own neighborhoods, looking good all year, but many people here -- and some who just pass through our community -- don't mind treating the Valley like their personal waste basket.

It's not just a matter of personal choice; the messes left by a few sour apples affect us all. It's about common courtesy, and also about community pride. There is a lot of hospitality and courtesy in the Valley, but you don't have to look far to find signs of indifference. Drive through any parking lot, and you'll spot dozens of carts cluttering up parking spaces and bumping into cars. There's no use in being coy about it, those carts are left there by people who are too lazy to walk a few feet to put their cart in a return corral, or back in the store. Everyone else suffers for their lazy, inconsiderate behavior.

It's the same with litter. There are so many good people in our community, but it only takes a few to leave the whole place looking bad. Discarded beer bottles, fast-food containers and empty shopping bags blow down many streets every day.

The problem is perpetuated by people who must hold their community in low regard, but it is perpetuated by those who are indifferent to the problem. It would be better if the litter wasn't tossed to begin with, but at least we can make a dent in the problem by treating every day as though it were a clean-up campaign.

Pick up that fast-food wrapper while you're out for an evening walk. Grab that loose bag on your way into the market. If we find trash in our yard, we're upset by it, and we pick it up.

In a way, our community is a yard we all share. There will always be someone who will treat our community with disrespect, but those of us who are proud of the beautiful place where we live outnumber them, and we're up to the task of keeping our Valley clean. The clean-up efforts are great, and we salute everyone who participates. We hope that spirit will continue all year long.

Maybe those sour apples will get the message.