Editor’s note: These letters are in response to Larry Ricketts’ Feb. 9 letter, “Let’s get rid of this litter,” and Barbara Sifford’s Feb. 15 letter, “We’re drowning in trash.”

Fine people who litter

Just wanted to say thank you to Mr. Larry Ricketts who wrote about litter in Salisbury. It’s honestly the worst I have ever seen. It does not matter how much you beautify the town with signs, flowers, trees, etc. The trash is always present, and Jake Alexander Boulevard is horrible. The litter laws have to be enforced and citizens and companies given fines.

The solution would be, yes, using some inmates and people who need to do community service to help. They go in and out of the court system every day with a slap on the hand; make them get out and work picking up this mess. Even the homeless shelter could send people that sleep and eat at their facility.

The city, county and state are at fault , not taking care of this trash. Hire people; they need jobs and this would help to clean up this trashy mess.

— Jan Snider

Salisbury

Problem is rural, too

Several days ago Ms. Barbara Sifford wrote a follow-up to Mr. Ricketts’ letter about the amount of litter lining the streets of Salisbury. If you think the trash in Salisbury is bad you should ride out to the Rowan County countryside.

Western Rowan is one of the few remaining unspoiled, rural and agricultural areas in the Charlotte region. Unspoiled, except for the endless amounts of trash that cover the roadsides. Everything from bottles, cans and fast-food containers to cabinets, tires, clothes and washing machines mar the beautiful landscape.

I am ashamed and embarrassed as a Rowan County resident. My family and I have adopted four miles of the county road on which we live, as well as, two miles each of NC 150 and NC 801. We pick up litter every two weeks.

However, no sooner have I pulled the pick-up truck into the garage has someone thrown out another beer bottle, cigarette box, fast-food bag or Styrofoam cup.

I work in Davidson. That is a very clean and well-kept town; a townspeople with pride and determination. I believe that people’s homes are a reflection of their values. Maybe the people of Rowan County and Salisbury should examine their values more carefully and give them a little massaging. It’s apparent that that is needed.

Maybe our county commissioners and local officials should do the same. I have contacted them (Jon Barber, when he was in office), the Sheriff’s Department and Rowan County Environmental Health for three years running now and asked for help with removing the litter and trash from this part of the county. I have received nothing but the run-around, excuses and empty promises.

So it looks like that saving the beauty of rural Rowan, and Salisbury in your case, will be left up to the very few that really care.

— Gerry Smith

Mount Ulla

Stop and pick it up

All I can say is wow! I’m retired from 36 years in business with much of it on the road.  From first- hand experience I can tell you that when an industry relocation specialist comes into town, they do not start with the Chamber of Commerce, the Rowan County commissioners or Mr. Van Geons at the EDC. They start by looking around to see how we respect and project our community.

Walk out your front door and then look back. Do you see a well-maintained or a neglected structure? Now walk down the street and look at the ground. Is it relatively well kept or strewn with litter? If you smoke while you drive, do you use an ashtray or the window?

When I drive down my street and see a discarded aluminum can, I stop and pick it up. It wasn’t put there by the NCDOT, inmates or a chain gang. It most likely came from a county resident. Do we need a new Rowan County motto? Maybe something as mundane as “Stop, bend over, pick it up and dispose of properly.”

Rowan County is our home. Who cleans your home?

— Eric Marsh

China Grove