During a three-day "Earth Day" clean-up project between Monterey and Sandisfield, I found, besides two vintage B&W TV's thrown in our woods along with 200-300 feet of cable wire, a rather frightening number of bottles of "Deep Eddy" Lemon Vodka.

Two large glass bottles of Deep Eddy were on the Monterey side of Sandisfield Road along with ten nips. On the Sandisfield side and including the upper half of West Street, there were well over 50 nips of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka along with just a few beer cans and plastic water bottles still containing water.

I collected two large bags of trash across from Buck's Pond that had originally been dumped last fall and had been torn into by our wildlife. That trash had made it into the streams running across from this pond and spread into our wetlands.

I live on the Monterey side of Cronk Road but feel this distance is still in my backyard. My picking up this trash doesn't change any bad habits of the selfish people who commit such crime, but picking it up is my way of not giving-in to these trashy people (who lack good taste, class, or decency).

I refer also to those who toss out potted plants such as mums once they become unsightly, thus disposing of not only the dying mum but the plastic pot as well across the street on someone else's property that is vacant of a house. This is also littering and if you think not, why not dispose these pots on your own lawn's edge? Is it more pleasing to your eye to see it across the street rather than your own front lawn? I picked up seven plastic pots w/plant name tags still attached from one vacant lot across from a single house.

Unfortunately, the people who litter aren't reading this. Maybe pass the word to those you know who do litter.

Keeping our own backyard picked up and by helping others who can't do it alone is a great start for a better feeling about yourself, by giving back to your community, for a cleaner, safer environment for all and for generations still to come.

Thank you for your time.