Clinton Township Newsletter

3 m a y 2 0 2 4 CarolBeder ' s C U S T O M PA I N T F I N I S H Transformations for Your Cabinetry & Furniture • D E S I G N 9 0 8 . 8 3 2 . 6 0 3 2 T E W K S B U R Y DAYS TO KEEP IN MIND Wednesday May 1 May Day Thursday May 2 National Day of Prayer Saturday May 4 Kentucky Derby Saturday May 4 Star Wars Day ("May The Fourth Be...") Sunday May 5 Cinco de Mayo Sunday May 5 African World Heritage Day Monday May 6 National Nurses Day Monday May 6 Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 8 , 1945: Victory in Europe Day ("VE Day") celebrates the surrender of Nazi Forces to the Allies during World War II Friday May 10 Military Spouse Appreciation Day Sunday May 12 Mother's Day May 14, 1607: Founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America Wednesday May 15 International Day of Families Saturday May 18 Armed Forces Day Sunday May 19 Pentecost Saturday May 25 Shavot Monday May 27 Memorial Day Under the heading "Let's Keep Clinton Township Beautiful!", a reader recently wrote me this letter: "I have been a Clinton Township resident for over thirty years. I take a daily walk from my home on Lilac Drive to Bundt Park and back, both for exercise and also to enjoy nature and my beautiful surroundings. Lately, however, I can't help but notice the ever-increasing amount of trash along my route at the side of the road. Attached is a picture of the trash collected by myself and another Lilac Drive neighbor on 3/18/2024 from the corner of Lilac and Payne Road to the corner of Lilac and Red Schoolhouse Road. The trash consists mostly of beer cans, miniature vodka bottles, and plastic water bottles. There were also some large liquor bottles, one being a broken 750 ml vodka bottle with sharp glass shards that could be harmful to both humans and animals. I don't know if this is just an issue for Lilac Drive and Red Schoolhouse as it is a well-traveled route to the park or if this is an issue throughout Clinton Township. Would it be appropriate to write something in the CTNL to remind our residents to keep the Township clean so all might enjoy its beauty? Signed, A Concerned Resident." Dear Concerned Resident, I hear you. People routinely throw bits of trash on the front of our property, too. Why wouldn't they take their personal trash home to throw in their own garbage cans, I wonder? I notice that most of the trash I find are small liquor bottles, empty packs of cigarettes, and fast food packages. Maybe these are some of the vices that these errant drivers don't wish their spouses to see? I remember one of my former neighbors used to take it upon herself to regularly pick up trash all along Frontage Road near my old neighborhood of Blossom Hill. She'd put on her reflective vest, wield her trash grabber- stick, and, very large trash bag in hand, make her way up the road on one side and back down the other. Every time I saw her I thanked her for this volunteer, civic duty. She was a shy woman who found a way to quietly make our Township more beautiful. Thank you, dear reader, for doing the same. Do you all remember the characters Goofus and Gallant from the children's magazine, Highlights? A cartoon created by Garry Cleveland Myers, it ran in the magazine since its beginning in 1946. Goofus always did and said the wrong thing, while Gallant was the well-behaved child. It was a simple way to teach children ethics and good manners and, while it was kind of comical at times, it highlighted the concepts of right and wrong. So, while Goofus tosses his trash in public places, Gallant picks it up and puts it in the trash can. Maybe we should all try to be a little more like Gallant? Enjoy this gorgeous month – Happy Mother's Day! –Julie Flynn

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