Editorial

As it always does, winter turned into spring – at least on the calendar – last week, which means that the promise of warmer weather and increased outdoor activity are in the air. With the change of seasons comes the New England ritual of spring cleaning, and this newspapers admonition to residents and homeowners about their responsibilities to keep our city looking clean and bright.

While we might like to think otherwise, keeping West Haven clean is a two-way responsibility. It is the responsibility of the city to keep the parks and byways trimmed and well kept, but it is also the responsibility of homeowners and residents.

For the most part, city crews do a better-than-adequate job of keeping city parks and spaces clean and groomed. One need only look at some of the parks in the city, particularly the boardwalk along the shore to see and hear the work being done on a daily basis.

Now that snow is – we hope – a memory of the past winter, street cleaning will become a regular fixture, and Dept. of Public Works crews do a good job of cleaning the streets and keeping trash receptacles emptied. We see these crews every day.

There are many city residents, however, and these include business owners, who believe they have no responsibility in keeping the sidewalks in front of their shops or lawn areas in front of their homes trimmed and groomed. In fact, they do.

One need only read the weekly complaints that come into Eleanore Turkington’s Gripe Vine column to see that homeowners and residents are, many times, not keeping up their end of the bargain. Here are some of the situations that are making the city look rundown and sloppy:

~~ Cars parked on front lawns. This is particularly evident in the center district and in some parts of Allingtown. Instead of parking cars on streets or in driveways and garages, they are found on lawns, digging up the areas and making the fronts of homes and residences look tawdry;

~~ Similar to this are driveways being used for auto repair. We are not talking about the odd car in which homeowners make their own repairs and then clean up, but those homes and residences where unlicensed car repair shops are found. Machinery and dismembered autos are in full view and bring down the overall look of the neighborhood;

~~ Unkempt lawns and street areas. Nothing will make a street look “low rent” than having overgrown lawns and untended sidewalk areas. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to take care of these areas. Conversely, those lawns and areas that have been allowed to erode and be grassless or barren of landscaping are just as damaging to a neighborhood.

~~ Trash piled up. Four times a year the city provides for bulk trash. It is understood that due to people moving or renovations being made, some trash is going to be generated and will have to be removed. The homeowners or residences are responsible for making those arrangements;

~~ Doggie calling cards. Many, many dog owners are conscientious in talking care of the results of their pet’s daily walks. We see them all over. But there are many dog owners who seem to believe they can allow Fido unfettered use of the sidewalk and not clean up after them. This is a health hazard and unsightly.

~~ Business owners who refuse to help clean up. Many business owners are very aware of the areas in front of their businesses and do great work in keeping their properties landscaped and trimmed. There are others, though, who believe they have no responsibility. As we said, keeping the city clean is a two-way street.

Many residents and homeowners do yeoman’s work in keeping the city clean. Others – a distinct minority we think – believe they have no horse in the race. Keeping the city clean something we all need to do. It is a cooperative effort.