Bank of Holly Springs

Fielder’s Choice

Help keep county clean

A few weeks ago I met a vehicle on a Holly Springs street.

Someone in the automobile finished their bottled water and tossed the empty container out the window.

I did not have time to get a tag number.

And that’s just one example of rampant littering in our city and our county. There are much larger ones than a drink bottle or can. Those even include old mattresses or couches on the sides of roads. But no matter the size of the item or items tossed along our roadsides, it’s wrong and it needs to stop.

Shortly after the empty water bottle almost hit my pick-up truck as it was tossed, I had Bruce Day from Parker Hannifin as my guest speaker at a Rotary Club meeting.

He talked about Parker’s recent expansion and the many company representatives who will be visiting our city because of the growth and progress of the Holly Springs facility.

Day talked about the importance of a good-looking and welcoming community. He talked about the community pride, the importance of first impression.

I recently read an article entitled, “What Is Community Pride And How Do We Achieve It?” It was written by Rylee Metzger and was printed in The Murdo Coyote, Murdo, S.D.

A sophomore in high school was asked the question, “What does community pride mean to you?”

“Community pride, to me means that you help others, support your local teams and care about how the community looks,” he said. “This can be seen in various ways from picking up trash to holding fund-raisers.”

A recent high school graduate in Murdo answered the same question.

“Community pride means going above and beyond to make your community stand out from the rest,” she said.

The City of Holly Springs has been focused on Team Up To Clean Up in March. City departments have organized to clean up certain areas of the city.

Mayor Kelvin Buck emphasized the importance of keeping our city clean.

“All citizens will be able to see the difference, as well as our tourists and other visitors,” he said.

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors is also launching its annual Spring Clean-Up Campaign.

Unfortunately, because of people like the one who tossed the empty water bottle from the vehicle, these cleanup efforts have to continue year-round. Litter in Marshall County is widespread. Just ride around and observe.

We all have to do our part. It starts with teaching our children – do not litter. I recall that being drilled in my mind in elementary school, and thankfully, it carried forward.

In that same article from Murdo, S.D., an elected official was also quoted.

“What if someone is looking for a potential place to relocate their business or family?” he asked. “Will they pick Murdo after driving through it? A community that takes pride helps everyone. It helps tourism, it helps the overall business community, it helps everyone’s property values, it helps the overall sense of pride the entire community has.”

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com