City officials discourage trashy behavior

scottw@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- Adopt a street or just adopt better habits -- it will make a difference.

Sikeston is by no means the only city with litterbugs.

"We definitely have some challenges in that realm -- but every community does," said Jon Douglass, city manager.

And it isn't that big of a problem to tackle.

"The biggest way we can combat littering is by not letting it get there in the first place," said Jay Lancaster, public works director for the city of Sikeston.

Douglass said he watched a prime example of the litter problem during a recent community event at a Sikeston park.

"They were giving popcorn away. I watched a young man finish his popcorn, crumple up the bag and toss it on the ground," Douglass said. "There was a trash can just a few feet away."

Douglass said behavior like this isn't something particular to Sikeston, either, but believes the community can do better.

"I think there is an element of personal responsibility for all of us to not put litter there in the first place," he said.

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