Editor,
To everyone living in Valleycliffe: This morning, during my daily walk, I picked up garbage along the road, ditches and yards, enough to fill five garbage bags. This was simply going up one side of the road on Westway to the Garden Plateau cul-de-sac. Then I ran out of bags. (Came in handy that it was blue box day.)
The garbage is thrown or dropped on the side of the road and it seems very few people go out and clean their portion of the roadway, yard or the ditch in front of their property.
If we are to maintain a beautiful area all of us must give a little more effort to keep it clean. I know you will say "but I did not put the garbage there in the first place".
Yes, the idiots that do throw their garbage all over the place will never stop to think of what it does to our community and it is very frustrating. However, think past that issue, and start cleaning the area just because you live there. This community is our little part of the world. We work hard to own/rent property and live in a community that is clean and safe.
Walkers: if you are out walking, take a few bags with you and "bend and pick". There are trash bins along the way, which are supplied by the municipality.
Students: you know who you are, stop throwing your candy wrappers and pop containers all over the place, Is it so difficult to carry your garbage until you see a trash container?
Valleycliffe School: please Principal and teachers, get out in your school yard and take a long hard look at all the garbage around the perimeter of the property. Could you not have a special hour, a few times a month, where the students could be assigned to go around their school yard and pick up the debris?
This would teach the students to have pride of property and in their school. Better to learn hands on don't you think? Maybe after cleaning their school area a good habit just might germinate.
Municipality: please send an employee to clean the ditch at the bus stop at the corner of Magnolia and Guilford. It is full of trash (not leaves or high grass) because we know cleaning ditches is not in the budget, but a pay raise for Mayor and Council is, seems skewed somehow.
Can't get my area cleaned but the people who run the municipal hall want more money for assigning less work.
Today was Westway's day but walking home via other streets the same amount of trash is everywhere. I will continue my project and in time it will (hopefully) get better and I challenge my Valleycliffe neighbours to get on board with my "bend and pick" efforts.
Sandy Toppazzini
Valleycliffe
