Enforce the law
S.C. Dixon, Emporia
Saturday, March 13, 2010
In response to Russ Morgan’s article, “Emporia has a trash problem…” some of us are scratching our heads going, “duh.”
Downtowners have been sick to death of picking up after slobs for years. Beer bottles, fast food containers, soft drinks cups and cans, are just the beginning. One windy day a client of mine from Wichita was leaving my portrait studio and was hit across the knees with a refrigerator box. I remember mumbling a vague apology and she said, “Oh well, everyone knows Emporia is a trashy town.”
This isn’t news and it isn’t new, but Russ we’re glad you wrote about it if only so that it is once again a topic of discussion.
What mystifies me is that it is against the law to litter a state highway, which Commercial Street is, and the city has ordinances prohibiting littering, but we cannot recall ever reading or hearing about a single ticket written in Emporia for littering — ever.
I’ve seen people dump entire cardboard buckets of chicken bones, napkins, and plastic flatware at 8th and Commercial. I’ve seen people open their doors and dump heaping ashtrays into the gutter in front of Graves. Look at Seventh Avenue between Merchant and Commercial any day, any time and the amount of trash is amazing. I’ve seen people walk out of the corner store, open the hood of their vehicle, pour in a plastic bottle of oil, and throw the container in the gutter.
And we won’t even discuss the late night dog walker, and apparently it is a very large dog, they seem to take a particular delight in leaving a prodigious amount of animal waste on downtown sidewalks.
I’ve decided I’m not picking up anything else until the city starts enforcing their own laws. If the powers that be decide its fine to have trash ankle deep in the gutters, so be it. Otherwise, let the slobs pay for it. Whatever the fine, triple it, enforce it and make it hurt. Word will spread and the town will be a whole lot cleaner. Even if it’s not, we’ll have some extra money to spend on cleanup.
S.C. Dixon
Emporia
deluvly1 (anonymous) says...
Hallelujah!!!
March 13, 2010 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Too true, SC! One the way to church recently I had to skip around a pile of dog doo in the middle of the sidewalk. I looked around and saw the culprits walking (out of earshot unfortunately) down the street. Evidently without an ounce of shame for leaving a smelly mess for someone to step in. I have small child and have to watch him closely when shopping downtown. There's usually broken glass on the north side of Natasha's. Once someone apparently had a marshmallow gun since an entire bag of mini marshmallows was scattered from Commercial almost to Merchant on 7th. Cigarette butts galore in the gutters. It makes the town look cheap. We shouldn't have to have clean up days. People should show a little respect and pick up after themselves. I hope they do start enforcing the law. The city needs money, well there you go.
March 13, 2010 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
A year or so back I was helping a local service club pick up trash downtown. Walking down Commercial street on a Saturday morning between 7th and 9th streets, we picked up TWENTY THREE empty beer bottles and two lawn sacks full of beer and soft drink cans and plastic soft drink bottles. This was NOT in the alleyways, this was on the streets and sidewalks right downtown.Cigarette butts were virtually uncountable. Emporia has a trash problem? You don’t say!
March 13, 2010 at 1:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
positivethinker (anonymous) says...
We have neighbors that have an old mattress thown out in their yard and another neighbor with a couch on the side of their house. We live in a decent neighborhood, but that shouldn't matter. People need to have a little pride in their town, property and themselves! Are there city ordinances against this? If so, who do I call?
March 13, 2010 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
amyhinrichs (anonymous) says...
I AGREE WITH SC! As I enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day Parade this afternoon, I watched in disbelief as the lady next to use cleaned her car out by throwing her garbage in the gutter. Being my vocal self I let her know what I thought, but she denied doing it purposely. I kindly showed her the trashcan which was 5 foot away from the front of her car and asked her if I should hold her hand like I do my 3 year old to make sure his messes get cleaned up. Needless to say I am probably her least favorite person today, but hopefully she learned some kind of lesson!
March 13, 2010 at 4:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
knute (anonymous) says...
Steve, I know an officer who observed an employee of then IBP who bought his supper at 7-11 and walked east, assumedly to home. He would throw his empty quart milk container onto W 6th in front of Dairy Queen. The officer made him pick it up and warned him the next time it happened, the guy would be cited. The next night, the officer gave the uncaring man a citation for littering. The officer is now retired. I don't know if the paper posted the citation and I apologize for letting a little wind out of your sail, but this did occur. Sorry we don't have cops like this guy anymore. You're correct, though, our town has become a trash dump everywhere.
March 13, 2010 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
The biggest garbage problem is the garbage coming out of Washington. Go to Bill Moyers Journal William K Black....another good one is The Economoc Elite vs The people of the USA.
March 13, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
positivethinker, Send an anonymous letter to your neighborsTelling them of the problem. Then if they don't take care of it, call the city and press charges if need be.
amyhinrichs,
Thanks for speaking up to the litterer, but these days it pays to be careful when dealing with strangers.
S C ,
Please don't refuse to pick up anymore trash. It may be a problem that we didn't cause but it still reflects on our businesses. A few years back I visited with a bike cop and he remarked how trashy my customers left the area around the club. We took a tour and I ended up pointing out that all the trash he was talking about was not served in my bar. Was it a neighboring bars trash or just bar patrons emptying out their cars after closing time? A little of both but we cleaned it up. Before the smoking ban we would sweep around the store once or twice a week, now it is almost every day. I know we'll have to today after the parade yesterday. It does get old but We would like to TRY to keep our little corner of town looking presentable.
AND A REQUEST TO ALL DOWNTOWN BUILDING OWNERS;
PLEASE get out at least once a week and sweep up the gutters around your business. It will make your business look better, and we can't count on Zimmerman and the city to do it like they used to.
March 14, 2010 at 8:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
EVERYONE, needs to remember that
Billy Cook
isn't doing it anymore, so police yourselves and put your trash and OTHERS where it belongs, IN A TRASH CAN
March 14, 2010 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Right on, SC.
What a good time to remember Billy Cook. He used to spend all his day walking around town and picking up trash. Bless his memory.
Last week I had to e-mail the city manager about huge chunks of asphalt littering the parking spaces on North Commercial after it had been removed from the street and just dumped there against the curb LAST FALL. I first tried Public Works. That didn't work hence the e-mail to the City Manager. Finally, they picked it all up. Why did it have to get that far?
The town looks shabby and we need to keep pointing to those who dirty it up. And yes, Steve, the smoking ban has really caused a huge increase in butts all over the place.
I say hire a person to keep Commercial and Merchant streets clean but give him/her the authority to issue tickets for littering. $100 slob fine!
March 14, 2010 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pencilguy (anonymous) says...
I have an idea! Instead of spending our time online, let's all go outside, where we can ACTUALLY make a difference.
March 14, 2010 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
i did my hour this morning in the mist.
March 14, 2010 at 4:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
solong (anonymous) says...
Reddog, you really are wasting alot of talent, you should be our next President, seriously!
March 14, 2010 at 9:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sandman (anonymous) says...
Go Steve!
Has been pointed out before, the trash not only happens in town but also the country. Some people are "slobs" no matter where they are at that time. Now that spring is approaching, afraid we will see more "animals" that for some reason are to be disgarded and guess what? "We take them to the country"!!!!
March 14, 2010 at 9:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )