Show your pride, not your trash

To the editor:
    A plastic sword, beer bottles, a car hood! These were a few of the items found by Mrs. Sewell’s eighth-grade English students on Oct. 6, during a school project to help improve our community. The Houlton Jr./Sr. High School eighth-graders walked around their school, nearby areas and neighborhoods filling garbage bags with litter. Several kids filled their garbage bags with trash collected in the woods. Potato chip bags, cigarette cartons and beer bottles were just some of the items found in nearby woods. Students were surprised to discover a junked washing machine and an old car hood in the woods.
    All of the garbage collected made me think about what littering does to a community. Littering in Houlton hurts our community.
    There is no doubt that there is too much litter in Houlton. We collected a total of 20 garbage bags filled with litter. Our class didn’t have to go far to fill up the bags of trash. In fact, all of the litter was collected within only a few blocks of Houlton Jr./Sr. High School. Some students didn’t even have to leave the school grounds to fill their garbage bags. Several students had to leave trash behind because they couldn’t take any more with them.
    Litter causes a negative economic impact on Houlton. Littered streets do not invite visitors to spend their time and money here.
    Litter in our community is evidence that many people do not care about the way our town looks. There was a lot of litter on the sidewalks near the school. Much of it looked like it had been there for awhile. Therefore, students must be walking by the litter or over it every day. This indicates that most people don’t feel a responsibility to pick up someone else’s trash. However, we all have a responsibility to keep our community clean. Instead of walking over or past a piece of litter on the sidewalk, please pick it up and drop it in the next trash can you pass.
    Additionally, it is not healthy for kids to be exposed to trash on our sidewalks. Kids could start getting the idea that it’s OK to litter. Kids could get cut on the broken glass littered in the streets. Also, there are lots of littered cigarettes and cigarette cartons to which children should not be exposed. Please think about the children of Houlton before you litter.
    In conclusion, littering affects everyone in our community. Littering affects our economy. Littering affects our children. Littering shows a lack of respect and pride for our town. Please think about the negative impact you’re making when you litter. Please don’t litter.
Adam Casillas
eighth-grader
Houlton Jr./Sr. HS