Biz owners should clean up litter, too

To the Editor:
I am really pleased to see that a number of individuals and organizations are coming together to engage in an organized cleanup of roads in Guilderland on April 27 [“Clean up Western Avenue on April 27,” The Altamont Enterprise, April 3, 2024].

An effort like this goes a long way toward not only removing litter from the town’s roadways, it also is an exercise in community-building that doesn’t occur in our divided world anywhere near often enough.

Many of the locations that will be covered in this effort are in the right-of-way in front of local businesses. While a significant number of the members of our fine local business community take care to care for the areas in front of their locations, there are also a number whose efforts stop directly in front of the structures that house their business sites.

It seems to me that, as responsible members of the community, all of the town’s business operations should go to the effort of maintaining their frontage in a neat and orderly manner. I’m fully aware that the trash that’s out there is likely the product of the negligence of passers-by, and I’m sorry that there’s extra work involved, but it sure would be nice if business owners (and the property owners of vacant sites) would take some pride in what they own and work with folks in the community to make Guilderland look as good as it can.

I’m hoping that the town looks a whole lot better on April 28!

Donald Csaposs

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Donald Csaposs works as a grant writer for the town of Guilderland and is also the chief executive officer of the Guilderland Industrial Development Agency. He says he wrote this as a private citizen.

See related editorial.

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