Time to Clean Up...Take Pride in Our Community

Editorial:  For the past year, a subject that has been brought up at every Warren City Council meeting has been the condition of abandoned and inhabited but unkept properties.  In March, several residents approached the council with complaints of unkept neighboring properties.  As I sat there and listened, I felt for these people.  Most people mow their lawns on a regular basis, keep trash picked up out of their yards and out of the ditches and streets facing their properties, and do not pile their yards and porches with junk.  I began to wonder what more I could do to promote pride in our community.  I recalled previous days where groups of volunteers would band together and have a clean up day in the community.  I talked with some older than myself and learned that "Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix Up" days used to be held where neighborhoods would come together to help each other tidy up their properties. 

Last month during the floods, I was sickened by the number of plastic bags and styrofoam cups floating in the ditches along our streets and highways.  As the water receded, the trash linger in tree limbs and ditches.

April is the month of Earth Day-What better time to spur a mini-environmental community revolution. I will be publishing a number of articles encouraging community pride and expressing ways we can all do a little to be better stewards of our planet and on a more local level, our community. I hope you will join me.