Aug. 7 cleanup
On the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 7, I was joined by city resident Tom Flynn, his daughter Shannon Flynn, her friend and State Senate candidates Kim-Marie Mullins and John Carlson for a downtown West Haven community clean-up.
In 90+ degree weather, our group, swept, weed whacked, picked up litter, cigarette butts, alcohol nips, etc. In a couple of hours, we cleaned Campbell Avenue between Elm Street and Main Street.
Our actions prove that it has been months since the City of West Haven Public Works Department has cleaned the streets and sidewalks of downtown West Haven, including the grounds of West Haven City Hall.
Litter will always be a problem. It is NOT only the city’s responsibility to clean the litter. First of all, people should not litter. Second, businesses downtown should take pride in themselves and clean their areas often. However, the weeds growing through the cracks of the sidewalks and curbs are inexcusable and public works must stop ignoring the problem!
The participants in Sunday’s clean-up considered it to be a “labor of love” for our West Haven community. But it shouldn’t take community members to be out sweating in hot and humid weather doing what our tax dollars go to pay public works to do.
The problem isn’t only the downtown business district. Evidence of neglect are noticeable all over the City of West Haven. Examples are the former Thompson School, the parking lot of the former Savin Rock Conference Center, Morse Park, the Boardwalk and numerous other locations.
I know that the city is under the microscope financially. But the Rossi Administration CANNOT continue to ignore the little things. These are the little things that people see every day. If the administration can’t handle the little things, how can they handle the big picture.
We’re better than this, West Haven!
Steven R. Mullins