If Ironton wants to be considered a city on the rise, one weekend of cleanup projects just simply is not enough.

Tuesday, May 16, 2000

If Ironton wants to be considered a city on the rise, one weekend of cleanup projects just simply is not enough. And, judging by the current state of the city’s riverfront, two or three events and a cattle prod might not be enough, either.

The riverfront is covered in garbage – mostly fast food wrappers and discarded cans and bottles – some located right near city trash cans.

The scattered paper detracts greatly from the riverfront that welcomed the Delta Queen last summer. In fact, it makes the area look more like an abandoned lot than a city showplace.

Of course, it goes without saying that the riverfront garbage doesn’t do too much for the city’s historical murals, either.

Seeing the riverfront in such a state should make any resident who truly loves this city and county concerned.

When people don’t care enough to put trash in a can that is right along the road, that is a sign that they don’t understand how critical appearance is when you are trying to attract new industry.

What would you think if you were an out of town business interest coming to scout Ironton as a potential location for your new plant?

Add to that the fact that some of the good work done by city volunteers this past month has already been marred by garbage and you have reason to be concerned about the future of the city.

There is no single answer to the problem, but we can all start becoming a positive force for change by simply making sure that we pick up or discard garbage that we know has been disposed of improperly.

Cleaning up an area of the city is one thing, but to have to come back again and redo that good work is unfair. Ironton needs groups and residents who are willing to "adopt" an area of the city and maintain it.

With the shrinking city budget, none of us can afford to wait for the city to clean up messes in our downtown area.

We have to take responsibility for our city’s future, too. The riverfront is a good place to start.