Editorial: Help keep our city clean

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More than 2,000 pounds of trash and debris were picked up along the shores of Lake Okabena Saturday during a cleanup effort coordinated by the Lake Okabena Improvement Association.

On the same day, the Early Risers Kiwanis group conducted its yearly park cleanup, and the Worthington Historic District Association cleared trash in the city’s central neighborhoods. The occasion of a beautiful morning was fitting, as the task at hand was beautifying the fair community in which we live.

It’s unfortunate, however, that spring cleanups — those that result in the removal of more than a ton of trash and debris, anyway — are as necessary as they are. We realize that debris such as downed branches and sticks will always be commonplace in Worthington, thanks in good part to our normally healthy winds. But Scott Rosenberg, the city’s parks superintendent, said Tuesday that littering continues to be a problem in many of the city’s parks. He added that recycling efforts are also made difficult by people simply neglecting to read directions on receptacles. (Graffiti, he noted, is also a troubling issue).

We would hope that city residents, as well as visitors to Worthington, treat this community’s parks and streets like they’d want their own properties treated. While spring cleanups will probably always be needed, we can all contribute to lightening their load.

Tags: opinion, editorials, worthington, parks