Sometimes, people don’t listen.
Back in August, I wrote a column about the trashy condition of one of our local strip shopping centers:
I could not help but notice the large amount of trash and other debris lining the sidewalks.
While we did have strong winds on Sunday, it was apparent this area had not been clean for quite a while.
I decided to take a photo and put it on Facebook. Others immediately said the area that was photographed is in similar condition most of the time.
It was disheartening to hear that. After all, Minden was once known as the cleanest city in the state. Lately, a trip around town reveals that we are far from that distinction any longer.
It’s has been more than two months since that column was published. On Friday, I again found myself at the same shopping center, finding just as much trash all over the sidewalks, parking lot, and other areas. Granted, some tenants keep their front entrances clean, but the whole center looked awful. I even saw used diapers in the middle of some parking spaces. Disgusting.
Just one block away, the newly resurfaced Walmart parking lot was marred with shopping carts all over the place. Some folks even left carts in parking spaces adjacent to the cart return locations. Seriously?
These two examples are just drops in the bucket of examples that could be listed.
I’ve heard every excuse in the book with regard to the cleanliness of our public areas.
“Its the responsibility of the building owner to keep areas clean.”
“The cart pushers need to be more attentive to the parking lot.”
Hogwash.
We all bear the responsibility of cleaning up after ourselves. We all can return a shopping cart to its proper place.
It would be a good exercise for every citizen to drive around town and look at things as if they were a first-time visitor. It is amazing what we all tend to overlook simply because we live here.
Is our community clean and inviting?
Do our storefronts, parking lots, and other public access areas say we care about our community?
Sadly, the answer right now is no.
C’mon Minden. Clean up after yourselves. Don’t be trashy. Trust me, it matters.
David Specht Jr. is editor and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.