Our Viewpoint: Help keep up the beautification

Last week, volunteers throughout Thompson Falls were busy sprucing up the town. Leaves were raked, bushes pruned, parks cleaned and new signage installed at the mule pasture trail system. It was a community effort known as Beautification Days that has been an April tradition for more than 20 years.

At the transfer station on Saturday, tons of electronic waste was loaded up to be recycled in the annual e-waste event, helping keep those items out of the landfull.

Various groups, businesses and individuals volunteered their time to give Thompson Falls a good spring cleaning. Plains has a cleanup day planned for May 18 to help neighbors and the city with projects.

Our communities are doing a great job of rallying the troops in concentrated efforts to clean up Plains and Thompson Falls. Beautification events are kind of like that effort to clean your house before a birthday dinner or graduation party. Everything is spic and span for the event, but eventually the clutter returns.

It's our job as responsible residents and visitors to maintain the tidiness. With the transfer station moving off Highway 200 east of Thompson Falls instead of on Airport Road, there seems to be a new trail of trash from town to the dump. Having the opportunity to increase your speed on the way to dispose of your trash makes it even more important to secure your load. As you're enjoying the freshly raked and cleaned parks and public spaces after these cleanup events, take a moment to pick up any trash that you see someone else may not have been so responsible with.

Thanks to all the volunteers who give their time and resources to our community throughout the year. Even with the rain last week, there were smiling faces of all ages out and about with rakes, pruning shears and trash bags for Beautification Days. Thanks also to the community members who organize the event. These activities are so important for our towns and your hard work does not go unnoticed.

— Annie Wooden