A Bubble Off Plumb

It is time again for the citywide cleanup. This is the time of year when the residents can gather up the crap that has been adorning their yards for the last who-knows-how long and take it to the designated area and dump it off, free of charge.

This year that location is Main and Forrest. There will be roll offs and it will be staffed 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Please don’t drop off junk at other hours.

There have been numerous discussions on social media – some of them heated – about how the town looks trashy needs to be cleaned up. Here is the chance for all of us, keyboard warriors included, to help make that happen.

Sure, take your own sofas and dead washing machines over there. Include fence segments that were knocked down in the storms and the stuff out of the garage when it was cleaned out last.

But don’t just stop there. All of us know where there is junk dumped on the side of the street, or a neighbor who is unable to take their items to the roll off location. On the way over there with your own load of stuff, go ahead and pick theirs up too.

Nobody is going to mind. I have never had someone rush out of the house and scream, ‘Hey, put my junk back!’ It isn’t like you are stealing the crown jewels.

Now, this doesn’t mean folks can run around taking items off people’s porches and lawns. But if there is a question about whether the resident wants to keep three broken down old lawn chairs and a 1956 Zenith television, you can always ask. Especially if you are less than 100 years old and you know the resident is older than you are, walks with a cane and drives a Spark. You know those people may need help getting their heavy bulky items to the roll offs. So help them.

If that doesn’t work because even being less than 100 years old you have a bad back or a tiny car, have the residents call city hall. It may be there is something that can be done, some helping hand extended.

Maybe there are school clubs or church youth groups who are assisting elderly or disabled residents with cleanup. Ask around.

But most of all, take advantage of the opportunity the city is offering its citizens. Like Kennedy said, ‘If not you, who? If not now, when?’

Lastly, if people aren’t willing to haul off their own garbage and bulky items and help clean up the streets and the town, they should be permanently banned from complaining about what a dump Watonga is, safely hidden behind their keyboards.