Spring is when things get geared up all over America and Oklahoma and Watonga are no different.
There are cleanups and similar events going on all over. In Canton, it is called Make a Difference Day, spearheaded by the school. It is set for April 29, but don’t feel like you must wait. Feel free to get started today.
There is a similar move afoot in Watonga, where it is hoped roll offs will be placed and citizens armed with trash bags, wheelbarrows and rakes take to the streets to gather up those pesky food containers and flying Walmart bags. This effort started at city hall, and some citizens have taken the ball and are headed toward the goal line.
And city council is working to reopen our convenience station, where we can leave big items or items that the trash service doesn’t pick up. It all helps the town look better and perception is half the battle.
No, we as citizens can’t reopen the downtown stores overnight or bring in new industry or restaurants. Well, maybe a few of us could, if our pockets are deep enough, but you get the general idea.
But we can clean empty lots and shovel the dirt and grass out of the side street gutters. Another thing we can do is make sure our garbage stays in our garbage cans until pickup day, even if that means securing it to a tree, fencepost or car port upright.
Another thing we can all do is change our attitude. We will never get anywhere if we walk around like Eeyore, woe is me, all downcast. We will never get anywhere with the attitude that this is Watonga, it is a dump, has always been a dump, always will be a dump and the best thing to do is leave.
The first thing required is self-respect. Have the guts and gumption to keep your own place – owned or rented – clean and looking decent. Don’t throw your butts, candy wrappers or other trash out the car window. And it goes without saying the same is true for used baby diapers. That is just self-respect. I mean, what would Grandma say if she saw you doing that? You’re better than that. We are all better than that.
Next – and this is a work in progress – is give code enforcement the teeth it needs to force those who have no selfrespect, are too lazy or have moved away and just don’t care anymore to do what is right. There is absolutely no reason a burned-out hulk can’t be cleaned up properly. Yes, there are costs associated. But a cleaned lot is more valuable than one with a torched house or one with the roof falling in. And if the property owners don’t want to pay for the cleanup up front, they can foot the bill when the city puts a lien on the place that must be paid before any money is delivered to the owners. So it will become a pay me now or pay me later situation.
We can turn this town around and make it a nice little hub of activity, with good schools, decent streets and public places, and enough jobs to attract and hold a sustainable population. The schools are already top notch, and are working on aligning student pathways with the needs of a growing aviation industry hungry for bright young employees skilled enough to meet their needs at graduation.
Granted, this is down the road. But that road starts with a single step. So pick up your trash.