July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Keeping the city cleaner
Editorial
It may be festive litter.
But it's still litter.
Friday afternoon saw hardy supporters of Jay County High School line Meridian Street in Portland for a chilly homecoming parade.
Saturday morning saw the same street lined with litter. Hundreds of Tootsie Rolls, hard candies, and suckers lay forgotten on the pavement, giving the entire downtown a trashy appearance.
The mess was particularly galling at Freedom Park, which has become a point of pride for the Jay County community. Candy and candy wrappers picked up in and around the park filled a bag weighing about three pounds.
Mayor Hosier soon had the city street department at work on Meridian with the streetsweeper.
But the initial appearance that morning was enough to make one wonder if it's not time to ban the practice of tossing candy to kids along the parade route. The annual Winterfest parade prohibits throwing candy, allowing it to be passed out but not tossed willy-nilly toward spectators.
Saturday morning's mess also raised the issue of what our individual responsibility is when we encounter something like this: Do we complain to city hall? Phone the newspaper? Grumble about it at the coffee shop?
Those are fine as far as they go. But there's another, more basic step: When you see a mess like this, bend over and help clean it up.
You'll feel better, and it will give your complaint a little more moral authority. - J.R.
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But it's still litter.
Friday afternoon saw hardy supporters of Jay County High School line Meridian Street in Portland for a chilly homecoming parade.
Saturday morning saw the same street lined with litter. Hundreds of Tootsie Rolls, hard candies, and suckers lay forgotten on the pavement, giving the entire downtown a trashy appearance.
The mess was particularly galling at Freedom Park, which has become a point of pride for the Jay County community. Candy and candy wrappers picked up in and around the park filled a bag weighing about three pounds.
Mayor Hosier soon had the city street department at work on Meridian with the streetsweeper.
But the initial appearance that morning was enough to make one wonder if it's not time to ban the practice of tossing candy to kids along the parade route. The annual Winterfest parade prohibits throwing candy, allowing it to be passed out but not tossed willy-nilly toward spectators.
Saturday morning's mess also raised the issue of what our individual responsibility is when we encounter something like this: Do we complain to city hall? Phone the newspaper? Grumble about it at the coffee shop?
Those are fine as far as they go. But there's another, more basic step: When you see a mess like this, bend over and help clean it up.
You'll feel better, and it will give your complaint a little more moral authority. - J.R.
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