In case you overlooked it everywhere else and are reading it for the first time in this column, April 17 through April 30 is officially proclaimed as "Spring Clean Week" for Robeson County. This is the time of the year when everyone in the county is encouraged to spend some extra time cleaning up their property and helping us make Robeson County a more beautiful place. As my friend Wilton Wilkerson would say, "Keep Robeson County Clean and Green - You know what to do, so go do it."

Spring is always a beautiful time of the year. All the flowers and trees are blooming with a spectacular showcase of color. The days are longer, so we can enjoy some time outdoors after getting off work. The weather is mild, with a hint that beach weather is right around the corner.

Unfortunately, in many areas of Robeson County, spring is also one of the most ugly times of the year. The fields are bare, and you can see all the trash that has been scattered by the wind throughout the winter. Grass along the highways has not turned green yet, and you can see all the bottles and cans that have been thrown along our roadways. Neglected barnyards, buildings, and yards appear even more noticeable as Mother Nature tries to hide them with native flowers and vegetative growth.

Most of our farmers do their part to keep their property neat and clean. Some of our farmers, as well as too many other people, seem as if they have no concern at all about how we look to the many visitors who pass through our county. Our roadsides are a disgrace, too many of the rural residences in the county are not landscaped at all, and there are far too many buildings in the county that are eyesores and in serious need of repair.

It has always been a mystery to me why so many of the businesses in the county don't even try to make their place look attractive. I never could understand why a business would not even place outside trash containers at convenient locations for their customers to use.

For environmental and esthetic purposes, most towns have ordinances about the number of trees around parking lots. Why can't they have ordinances requiring a certain number of litter containers for every so many parking places. As I think about it, would it do any good? Too many people in Robeson County have developed the habit of throwing their trash wherever they want, whether there is a trash container nearby or not.

As I travel throughout the state and in other areas of the nation as well, I always look for those scenic byways and try to plan my trip so I can travel those roads. I enjoy seeing the beautiful landscapes, well-maintained farmsteads, well-planned and maintained fences and farm roads, and those special touches of colorful flowers around mailboxes. When I return to Robeson County, I'm ashamed of the way most of our county looks. At least we can be sure that none of our roads will ever be named scenic byways.

What do the tourists think of us? Some of them may pass on through our county when they see a lot of litter and unkept buildings. The ones who do stop most likely think that there are a lot of trashy people living in this area.

What about those businesses and industries that may consider locating here to provide jobs for our unemployed or underemployed? Why would they want to locate their businesses and families here when it looks as if most of us don't even want to be here.

I guess I can understand that some people cannot afford to landscape their property. Maybe they can't afford the material and paint for a neat fence. Maybe they can't afford to fix up a house that does not even belong to them.

What about trash? There is no excuse for trash. I heard someone say that "only trashy people throw trash." Stop and think about it. Maybe this is true.

Throwing trash along the highway is one of my pet peeves. I guess it is because I could never figure an excuse for anyone to throw trash out of a vehicle. Why not wait until you get to where you are going, and then throw it in a waste container? No extra effort, just a little thoughtfulness.

Let me encourage you to join Wilton Wilkerson and so many other people as we try to keep Robeson County "Clean and Green."

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 09/07/01