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Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?

– Five Man Electrical Band

Closed until further notice.

Prayers For Our World.

God Bless Medical Personnel.

Still Here. Still Serving. Still Praying.

We Miss Ya’ll!

Everywhere we turn there is a sign these days. Signs to remind us to stay six feet apart. Signs to remind us only one family member allowed inside at a time at the store.

Signs to tell us the newest hours for the business we are visiting.

Signs to remind us to stay safe and well during this pandemic.

Another sign is the litter spotted throughout the area.

A recent visit to Bailey’s for some fishing and relaxation time showed just how much trash has been thrown about. Any time prior to COVID-19, I would have walked around the pier picking up neglected crab lines and other discarded trash. However, with the concerns of contamination, I noticed I hesitated before picking up around the area.

I did clean up the area before leaving because it was so ingrained into me to always leave nature better than you found it.

My hats off to the city and county employees whose job it is to pick up litter and trash through the area. I bow to the sanitation employees collecting our trash each week.

In recent weeks, I noticed the trash cans by the roads appeared a little fuller than usual. When at home with nothing to do, you clean and clean and then clean some more. I can imagine several closets have had a thorough cleaning recently. Yet, we were not able to donate many of those items because donation sites were also closed. So, into the garbage bins they went.

Sanitation workers continued working through all this and worked harder because of all our cleaning. They deserve a thank you for all their hard work.

But, at the same time, we should remember to throw our trash in a bag in the car to be disposed of in a proper receptacle instead of tossing it on the roads. After five weeks of staying at home, we should have cleaner streets not ones showing more litter.

While Texas slowly starts reopening, help clean the streets by not littering.

Dawn Burleigh is general manager and editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com