April 22, 2004
Thursday

Thank you Jerry Cegelske and Susan Round for your support. You're right, of course. It won't do me any good to lose hope for an improved environment here in Ketchikan vis a vis litter. Thank you also to Nick, Mike, and Todd (state road maintenance crew) for helping to clean up after those who continue to defile our environment with inappropriately dumped trash.

I certainly did not mean to imply in my 4/18 letter that kids are the only ones who litter. Those who do have undoubtedly learned that behavior from adults. I do think children can become our best warriors in the battle
against littering. I teach the youngsters I tutor that litter is not only unsightly, it can be harmful to wildlife. I've also noticed that the buildup of litter in ditches sometimes stops up drainage and causes those ditches to flood after heavy rains.

Mr. Cegelske makes a good point about tourists viewing our roadside garbage. My sister visited Ketchikan in 2002 and noticed the problem almost immediately as we drove on the highway. I have visited otherwise beautiful cities that were horribly littered and found myself thinking I did not care to return to such places.

First and foremost, we should be proud of the beautiful area in which we live and strive to keep it that way, not necessarily for the visitors, but for ourselves, too. I know I sound like a fanatic about this subject. That's because I am.

Sincerely,

Karen Ramsey
Ward Cove , AK - USA

Related Viewpoints:

CHEERS AND JEERS! by Jerry A. Cegelske - Ketchikan

On the Subject of Litter by Susan Round - Ketchikan

 

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