On Saturday, March 20th we were able to facilitate the Ward 3 Community Cleanup in Memory of Councilmen Tony Henry and Jimmy Reed! It was an opportunity for the citizens to come together for one common cause, beautifying our city! I want to thank the citizens who took time out of their busy schedules to come out and help and those who stayed at home to keep their own areas clean. I also want to thank the city workers for their time and patience. Keeping our city clean is everyone’s responsibility!
One of the things we must realize is that trash accumulating does not happen overnight. It is a consistent act of individuals being careless with discarding their own personal trash. To some it is hard to believe that someone would ride through a residential area and throw their trash out in someone’s yard, on the side of the road, on a church parking lot or in the park. Unfortunately, it happens more than what we realize, and it should not happen at all. How easy would it be to just take the trash home to your own trashcan or to find a public trashcan? It is very disheartening to see that many do not care about the condition of our community.
We can not let the carelessness of others cause us to become weary in well doing! It may seem unfair, and it is, to continue to pick up trash that has been discarded by others. However, if we do not, we are allowing others to determine what our neighborhoods look like to us and others. Some may say that it is a waste of time to continue to pick up the trash knowing that very soon more trash will be thrown out. In direct contradiction of that statement, we continue to wash dishes and clothes that will only get dirty again. That is because we will not eat off dirty dishes or wear dirty clothes. We do not have to live in dirty neighborhoods either and ultimately, we are responsible. Take the opportunity to organize a group of like-minded neighbors who will also join efforts to keep our communities looking immaculate!
Please do not think we agree or take it lightly when others come into our neighborhoods to litter! It is indeed a crime. We just can not allow their crimes to overshadow our constant efforts. Hopefully, we will succeed in putting an end to the vicious cycle. It will require patience and persistence to prevail, but I for one think that we can make it happen!
Let me reemphasize how grateful I am to our city employees! They work tirelessly day in and day out to try to keep our city clean. Their efforts often go unnoticed and many times there are complaints regarding their service instead of a group effort to assist. While their jobs require them to be in your neighborhoods periodically, residents have daily access. Let us be mindful that the act of keeping our neighborhoods and our entire city clean, is a group effort. Like so many other issues we face, we are in this together!
Veronica Smith-Creer is the Mayor of El Dorado. She can be reached at [email protected].