A monster is riding the streets of downtown Ironton. Its hulking frame slowly creeps down the city's streets. He usually likes to creep around early in the morning. It's easier that way. Each day it lurks about town, it steals away some of your "stuff."

Don't worry, this isn't a bad monster; It's a good one.

The City of Ironton has been running a new street sweeper for a few months and the difference is amazing.

Although the concept is kind of the same, the street sweeper is no ordinary household vacuum. When the sweeper first began making its way through the streets, it lifted approximately 5 tons of dirt each day.

Now that's a vacuum cleaner bag few people would want to empty.

The street sweeper is being leased by the city to replace the old one that was broken down more than it was running.

The main purpose of the sweeper is to prevent contaminants and other junk from getting into the storm drains and ultimately the Ohio River.

Of course the added benefit is that the city's streets visually look more appealing. Keeping the streets clean helps set the standard for what is considered acceptable and what is considered the "norm" for the community.

While keeping things looking appealing in the city may seem secondary to many "bigger" issues that face the city. We feel doing so is an investment of sorts. The fact is that Ironton has lost a considerable portion of its tax base. If we ever hope to get that back, we've got to attract people from the outside into Ironton.

We've seen that happen with a little ingenuity last fall when the Friends of Ironton organized the first Rally on the River. And, we see that happen every year when the hardworking people on the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade Committee make the parade a success.

Ironton and the surrounding areas have lots of things to offer, from the history of the area to the amazing quality of life not found in larger more metropolitan areas.

Having clean streets is just another plus for the city. And it keeps the environment clean to boot.

We applaud the city for plugging away at this issue and working to keep our streets clean. Citizens, you can help by not littering and by keeping your own property tidy.