Time for a little spring cleaning

Another spring is on the way and Bartlett is dirtier than ever. Everywhere you look, garbage litters the streets, the parkways, fences and shrubbery.

I have spoken on numerous occasions with village administrators regarding this problem, but they have been unable, or unwilling, to address the issue.

Our major roads are filthy and the village appears unwilling to insist that its retail areas be maintained.

Since our civil servants won't address the problem, the only other option is to eliminate the problem itself.

To Bartlett residents: Use some common sense when putting your garbage out for pickup. At the end of the day, as you walk down to retrieve your receptacles, take the blinders off and look around. Odds are there is some loose trash lying about.

To our refuse collectors: Take more care during collection and transportation of this material.

To Bartlett businesses and commercial property owners: Maintain your property. You may work here, but we live here and we don't appreciate the deplorable conditions along the roadways fronting your establishments.

To the public works employees responsible for mowing along the roadside: Try picking up the trash before you mow. It's bad enough that we are forced to pick up the trash ourselves, it's even worse when it's chopped up into little pieces.

To village officials: Your town is dirty, what are you going to do about it? I know there are ordinances in place; how about enforcing them? Also, try a little harder to get the counties to do a better job in maintaining the roads within our borders.

Bartlett, take a good look around. If you are OK with what you see, then you can just write this off as the rants and ravings of another whiny resident. If you're not OK, however, we urge you to do all you can to eliminate the problem. At a minimum, maintain your property. Better yet, let your village officials know that the condition of your town is unacceptable.

We deserve to live and to raise our families in a community that we can be proud of.

Sue and Mike Gonia

Bartlett