Bill\’s Point of View: Litter Bugs A Real Problem in the area around Cold Springs School

GLOUCESTER CITY-(Saturday, July 12, 2008) Cold Spring Drive has become a convenient dumping site for litter bugs. The trash shown above was laying in the street and school parking lot for the past two days. Besides empty beer bottles, water bottles, pizza boxes, cardboard beer boxes etc. there was also a bag of stinky crab shells.

The trash shown in the photos has been picked up and removed. However, the crab shells in the green trash bag are still there.

Trash left by litter bugs is an ongoing problem in this area. Rubbish, garbage and debris can be found not only in the school parking lot and school playground but also in the fields across from the school that surround the high tension wires.

Some of the biggest offenders are those who ride the ATV’s in the fields. After they leave you will always find signs of rubbish scattered about. The same goes with the spectators who come to watch games at the nearby high school. You can always find trash in the area of the fields where they had parked their cars. They could care less about what they leave behind.

And then there are the building contractors and everyday slobs who use the same fields as a convenient spot to dumb trash, yard debris, and construction waste. Plus the area is used by vagrants and teenagers as a party spot. It is not unusual to find empty drug bags and other drug paraphernalia, along with whiskey bottles, and beer cans in certain locations along the trails.

State taxpayers spent $30 million plus to build the Cold Spring School a decade ago. It saddens me to see the school grounds being used as a trash dump. Likewise with the fields across from the school. If this is any example of how the next generation is going to treat the environment the world is in trouble.

If you see trash piles such as shown above call the City Highway Department or stop and pick it up yourself. And call the police if you see someone dumping the trash.

To the offenders; we don\’t appreciate you using our community as a dump. Show Gloucester City the respect that it deserves.