Springtime has apparently at last come to our beautiful island, and all the plants are growing with wild abandon. This includes the shaggy grass strips that divide the sidewalks from the streets and yards, particularly in Winslow.

Since the budgetary distress of our local government has been well-publicized, I propose that anyone with a mower now take the initiative to maintain the strip nearest their home to keep our town looking great, and to free up our public works employees to take care of more major projects.

In addition to individuals, it would be great if the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and any other organization would take care of any island roadside that needs attention.

Just to name a few, they include: the shaggy sections going to seed along Wyatt Way; the sections of unkempt sidewalks along Weaver; and the barrier strips between the Commodore developments and High School Road.

In addition, look around your own neighborhood and see if someone might need a helping hand with their lawn mowing.

Not everyone can afford to hire a gardener. If you don’t want to mow, do some weed removal, or get out the pruning sheers and whack back the berry vines or the bushes that are blocking the stop sign.

If you’re looking for examples to follow, consider that our senior citizens, working together with the Rotary Club, prepare, hang and water all the beautiful planting baskets that bring floral delight to our downtown area.

The library gardens and the traffic circle are maintained by the Friday Tidy group. These things are not done by the Public Works Department, but by citizens who take pride in their city.

I’ve loaded my mower into the car and driven down to personally work on the section of Weaver between Moji and Village Circle that has been allowed to grow wild.

A mower swath on either side of the sidewalks allows dog walkers to easily step aside for strollers, and it keeps the grass from overgrowing the walkway.

Look around, find an unkempt roadside area and join in to make our city the best it can be!

Dee DuMont

Grow Avenue