Letter: People should pick up after themselves in parks

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To the editor,

I am amazed at the amount of people who just don’t abide by signs posted at local parks. For example, all the signs at Toby’s Pond in Beacon Falls seem to be ignored. As a tax-paying town resident for almost 20 years, I feel as though these lovely parks are an extension of my own backyard, and as such, I treat them that way. I moved from the city to the country to enjoy the outdoors. I wouldn’t dump trash in my own backyard, so I don’t do so in my local parks either.

I have seen some local parks deteriorate over time — more trash, pot-hole riddled parking lots, broken park benches, and the ever-growing amount of graffiti under the bridge overpasses throughout town. On my “nature walks” I have picked up coffee cups, water and soda bottles, food wrappers, and countless beer cans, and discarded liquor bottles. I have seen discarded used condoms as well as hypodermic needles.  By the way, the sign out front at the town parks typically mentions “no alcoholic beverages,” but that’s a job for local law enforcement to handle.

Also, as someone who owns two large-breed dogs, I can’t tolerate how people don’t pick up after their dogs. When I leave the house with my dogs, I carry bags with me. At Toby’s Pond, there is even a dispenser with free bags available and a sign to “Please pick up after your dog.”

Even if these trashy litterbugs can’t read the posted signs, they can certainly see the huge trash can as they enter the parking area. Most of the trash is at the far end of the road. I guess they don’t want to “carry it in, carry it out” since the trash can is so far away?

I would like to thank the other environmentally conscious people out there who I have seen also picking up trash left behind by ignorant litterbugs. I know in a small town we just don’t have the manpower to police every park, and litterbugs seem to be out there at all hours of the day and night (although parks are supposed to close at sunset, but again, that’s a job for local law enforcement.) I just want to raise awareness, and maybe suggest the placement of additional trash cans at both ends of the parks. It’s worth a shot.

Lynn Craska

Beacon Falls