NEWS

I’ve been a proud resident of Ferguson since 1996 when I bought my house where I raised both my boys, Justin and Jesse. I worked outside my home sometimes seven days a week so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to explore or meet people in my community other than when attending parades, playing in the parks, and things like that. Fast-forward to 2020. My kids are now grown, married, and on their own. I’m now self-employed, and my mom, Jean, is now sharing my home. Just like most everyone, 2020 had an adverse effect on my business and I was shut down and looking for ways to cope. In September of 2020 I began walking around our area parks to fill a new void in my life and mend my mind. As the weather began to turn cold, I started thinking about other options where I could continue my new routine of walking, but not get frostbite. I decided to go check out the Ferguson Recreation Center and I’ve never looked back. I was given a tour and I registered on the spot for a one-year membership. Excited, I started going to the gym the very next morning and that’s where I met so many wonderful, caring people. The first was Willie who I started calling “Gunsmoke” because he always walked on the treadmill, watching that show. We became workout buddies, and he taught me a lot about the machines and how to use them. He doesn’t come here anymore, and I miss seeing him, but I’ve met lots of other great people along the way.

Shortly after I joined, I decided to get a membership for my mom, Jean Conner, as well to keep her active as she’s in her seventies and doesn’t go out much. Her favorite thing to do is walk on the treadmill, now that she knows not to accidentally hit the 12 mph hour button and take off like a rocket! Thankfully, she was able to get the machine slowed down and live to talk about how Joe and I tried to race to her rescue! Join the gym and she’ll tell you all about that experience! Jean is the proud mom of three, grandma of five, and great-grandma of six. She didn’t think she’d like going to exercise every morning with me, but once she started making friends and learning how to use the equipment, she too was hooked. Recent heart issues and being under a doctor’s care has kept her away since November, but everyone asks me about her daily, and I exchange messages back and forth that keep my mom’s spirits high. For people that only see each other for an hour or so each morning, we are kind of a tight-knit little group of friends.

About two months after my mom and I joined, during one of our morning workouts I noticed an employee bringing someone into the fitness center for a tour. After they left, I said, “Hey mom, I think that was Joe Lonero!”. I’d known and seen Joe off and on for many years, even before I’d ever moved to Ferguson. He used to stop for coffee every morning at a gas station where I worked a long, long time ago. Joe started going to the gym to get stronger. He likes to start out on the elliptical and work his way through the labyrinth of machines. He brings encouragement to all of us, rooting everyone on as we sometimes struggle to reach our personal goals. He knows a lot about fitness and is quick to help anyone in need. Most days you can hear him saying “Alright, good, good!” And my personal favorite, “Piece of cake!” after he astounds me by his strength.

Bobbie, the woman I dubbed “Powerhouse”, has made the gym her early morning destination for the past three years. Prior to that, she used to walk outside which she found solitary and didn’t care for the inclement weather. She enjoys her time here not only for the exercise but for the friendly welcoming atmosphere. For her, it’s a place where friendships evolve, and the dedicated early morning regulars always greet each other with upbeat talk and laughter before beginning their morning workouts. Bobbie is glad she discovered what she considers to be one of Ferguson’s treasures.

Madelyn Jamerson started coming to the gym in July of 2015 after she had a stroke. This is where she met her friend Michael. Madelyn has made a lot of friends during the years she’s been coming here, including Raymond Valley and Joanne Schneider. She has two children and two grandchildren. Madelyn keeps coming back to stay fit and healthy and she enjoys the company and sense of community while she works out. Madelyn likes to do a variety of activities here, but her favorite is the stationary spin bike.

Lu Mullen started coming to the gym in August of 2015 through the encouragement of her friend, Madelyn whom she’s known since 2003. Lu moved here from The Philippines thirty-seven years ago and has two daughters and five grandchildren. She comes here because of the people and to exercise and stay fit. Lu enjoys walking on the treadmill, riding the stationary bike, and a variety of other activities. She says it’s nice to have this community. It brings us together and promotes bonding and close friendships. When I asked Michael how long he’s been coming here, he laughed and said, “Too long not to be in shape”! He started coming to the gym seven years ago when he decided he needed to get in shape and since he lives in Ferguson it was close and convenient. He enjoys walking on the treadmill and using the ab machine. I asked him what he gets out of coming to the gym every morning, he told me it’s fun engaging in conversations with the people. He’s proud to say he’s lost some weight, “lose a pound and gain back three” he laughs again. Michael is the proud father of one son, grandfather of three, and great grandfather of three.

Ken Hogshead has been running seriously for forty plus years. My conversation with Ken is a story all its own. His accomplishments and experiences are awesome to say the least. He began running to be able to enter the first McDonnell-Douglas “Run For Fun” that was started by Sandy McDonnell in which participants had to run/and or walk a 10k in ninety minutes. He had such a great experience, he was hooked. He soon joined the St. Louis Track Club and Gateway Athletics to learn more about upcoming events and to improve his training. Ken tries to run every day and does most of his running on the fitness center’s treadmills. He understands that aging has slowed his pace over the years. I am in awe when I watch him run so I can only imagine how fast he was in his prime. Ken said he must accept the facts, but he also accepts the reality that continuing to run and train will allow him to be more active and to enjoy a fuller, healthier life than being sedentary. He is also an avid hiker and I hope to be able to share more of his fascinating story with our readers in another edition.

Ken’s wife Leslie started coming to the gym about a year ago. She used to walk outside, but once she came with her husband and walked on the treadmill for the first time, she decided she liked it better. When asked what keeps her coming back every day she said, “The Group.” She likes that everyone here cares, wonders where you are, and how we tease each other when we show up late. Leslie was out for a while due illness, and she said during that time, she still felt motivated to get back to her gym family because daily Ken would relay to her all our well-wishes, prayers, and asking about her and when was she coming back. She just can’t say enough about the power of community and encouragement we all give to each other. Leslie said some of her highlights about coming here are “Joe is our focal point and cheerleader. Michael always shares a good thought or scripture each morning. Jean is everyone’s cheerleader and keeps us all going, and we miss seeing her every day.” And Leslie surprised me with some fantastic news…she and Ken are expecting their first grandchild due December 25, 2021!

Charles Bolden started coming to the gym in October 2020 because he wants to stay physically fit and improve his mobility and balance. He likes using the free weights and kettle bells. He comes to work out most every morning because he wants to stick to his routine. He has a target goal to lose twenty pounds and he’s already lost eight although he laughed and said “the caveat to that is it went back up, but it’s coming back down again. It’s a battle at sixty-five!”. Oh, we can all relate to that, can’t we?! Charles is proud of his three kids (two girls and a boy) and his four grandchildren. He works hard while at the gym and tends to stay mostly to himself once he arrives and says his good mornings to everyone, but his smile and presence brightens everyone’s day.

April of 2019 is when Theresa started coming to the gym right after she retired. She said she’s always been pretty active and if the weather was bad, she could still use the treadmill and be safe. Theresa prefers the stationary bike because it’s easier on her knees. In fact, she just had a total knee replacement in October and she’s already back and working out like nothing ever happened! She said that going to the gym has helped her lose eighty pounds and keep it off. She also likes to use the free weights and ab machine. Her goals in life are pretty straight forward; to be happy with who she is and enjoy life. She finds the rec center a very expensive, fun way to meet people and live a healthy lifestyle.

Kate Church is our newest morning crew member. She loves comfort food but says “Let’s face it, gaining weight is the other side of that double-edged sword.” Kate recently rediscovered the fitness center and says it’s been a great experience making new friends.” She appreciates the encouragement she receives from the group, but quips “I’m not saying it’s as great as comfort food, but it’s better for me.”

Many of the morning crew come to the gym daily, however we have one that only comes in once every two weeks because that’s all his busy schedule will allow. Martin started coming here about three years ago but then life got in the way. He just started coming back again five months ago. Martin says the gym has great equipment and he also enjoys the great company. The elliptical is his favorite machine but he also likes to do other activities throughout. Martin says he keeps coming back to stay fit.

The Morning Crew – treadmill group

Sharing our story was Leslie’s idea and I’m so glad she brought this to me. To some, the Ferguson Recreation Center is just another building in our city, but for us it’s been so much more than that. It’s a place where you are warmly greeted each morning with a smile by the friendly staff at the desk. The morning staff usually includes George Ulmer, Zaria Carson, Lean Harold, Kathy Schmermund, Maureen Pfeifer, and sometimes we even get to see Jordan Kuechenmeister, Dave Musgrave, and Cindy Eskew. And most every morning you will find Marvin maintaining the building, making the floors shine, keeping everything clean and safe.

So often, at the end of a year, we tend to reflect on our lives and habits and strive to make resolutions of self-improvement for the new year. If you are considering getting into shape, reaching a certain fitness or weight goal, or just looking for a fun place to meet new people, the morning crew would like to encourage you to give the Ferguson Recreation Center’s Fitness Center a try!

Have you ever wondered what is meant by the dog days of summer? For many, the “dog days,” are those summer days that are so devastatingly hot that even dogs would lie around panting. But originally, the phrase had nothing to do with dogs, or those hot lazy days of summer. Instead, the dog days is actually a reference to the fact that, during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. This is why Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.”

Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year.

Summer Heat: It’s All About The Tilt

While this period usually is the hottest stretch of summer, the heat is not due to any added radiation from Sirius, regardless of its brightness. The heat of summer is simply a direct result of the Earth’s tilt.

During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the tilt of the Earth causes the Sun’s rays to hit at a more direct angle, and for a longer period of time throughout the day. This means longer, hotter days.

Personally, I just try to stay cool and hydrate. But, as I think back, the only times I was bitten by dogs (plural) was during those dog days of summer.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER FOLKLORE

Old-timers believed that rainfall on the Dog Days was a bad omen, as foretold in this verse:

Dog Days bright and clear
Indicate a happy year;
But when accompanied by rain,
For better times, our hopes are vain.

“Dog Days are approaching; you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog, there is no dependence upon him.”
–The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817

Keep cool and keep those dogs cool. Make sure your dogs have plenty of water and a shady place to lay down.

Jo Ann Bordeleau wore many hats in our community. She passed from this world on November 19th of this year. Even though she didn’t live in Ferguson at the time of her passing, she touched many lives here.

Jo Ann was born in Paris, Missouri grew up on a farm and attended a oneroom schoolhouse through the ninth grade. She attended high school in Paris, MO. After high school, she worked for a mining contractor and moved around to different states. During this time, she married Gerald Bordeleau before moving to Ferguson in 1966, where she raised her five children.

Upon moving to Ferguson, Jo Ann applied for a position with the city as a bookkeeper and was immediately hired. She held many positions in the Finance Dept throughout the years; Bookkeeper, !966-1978, Accounting Manager, 1978-1983, Finance Manager, 1983-1986, and upon receiving her degree as Bachelor of Business Administration from UMSL, 1985, graduating summa cum laude, she became the Finance Director in 1986. While she worked to keep the city’s finances in order, she held many leadership roles with the local, state, and national Government Finance Office Association, (GFOA) and the Missouri Municipal League. Jo Ann was President of the local and state chapter of the GFOA in 1991. For a short period of time, Jo Ann held the position of Acting City Manager in 1997, before retiring from the Finance Department in 2004 and leaving the hustle and bustle of city administration life behind.

Of course, she didn’t just call it a day and move on, she remained very loyal to our community using her accounting experience helping many organizations with their finances. Jo Ann was the treasurer for many community events such as the Beach Parties, which grew into Streetfest, Northern Lights, and pretty much any group that needed someone to keep the finances straight. She worked with the Ferguson Historical Society and the Ferguson Special Business District, (FSBD). Because of her tireless efforts in helping all of these different organizations, Jo Ann was recognized as Ferguson’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2013.

Jo Ann was noted for her fabulous Christmas Parties for many years. At first, she invited just city employees, including the fire, police, and city garage. As time went by, she began inviting more friends, and lots of Ferguson volunteers. You were a lucky person to receive an invitation to one of Jo Ann’s parties; great food, drinks, and a plethora of good friends . . . all held in her home . . .first on Harvey then at her historical home on Wesley. She said that Christmas was always very special to her and she enjoyed sharing her festive decorations, food, and drinks with her friends and family.

JoAnn’s former historic house on the corner of Wesley and Georgia Avenues. WWII famous aviator, General Jimmy Doolittle once lived here. Doolittle was the leader of the first aerial attack on the Japanese mainland.

At her Christmas parties, she always had a fruit cake. I know what you’re thinking, “How old was this fruit cake?” One year I ate some of her cake because I had heard that the ingredients had been soaking in rum for at least a month, maybe more. I don’t know if these are the facts, but I know for a fact that that fruit cake was out of this world. And as has been mentioned earlier how she enjoyed sharing her festive decorations. Let me tell you, she had a Santa Claus collection over which I particularly marveled.

Asking the question, “What does it take to become the “Citizen of the Year”? If it takes giving of your time and energy to your community for 47 years, then Jo Ann was a hands down favorite.

And you were. You are missed Jo Ann.

Now that we are in the midst of autumn and the temperature has dipped, we can’t sit back and wait for fair weather to get out to keep our community tidy. We must continue to pick up where others have lapsed in their courtesy.

Ferguson is lucky to have certain residents that notice an issue and take the matter into their own hands to correct the problem. Two of these residents, Ank and Susan Ankenbrand, when they would go out for their daily walk, noticed that Ferguson had a litter issue. So, during their walks they took it upon themselves to pick up the trash that they would happen across. The next day, they wanted to enjoy a leisurely walk to enjoy their beloved town when they noticed that when they walked down the street, that they picked up the day before, it was just as bad as it was during yesterday’s walk.

They got into the habit of bringing trash bags along on their walks and began making it a point of picking up the litter that disgraced our streets. The more they walked, the more they picked up. Soon the bags that they carried along their routes would be full and there would still be more to be picked up. But they just got more bags and continued picking up the rubbish that people would thoughtlessly leave behind.

As with many projects, the more you do, the more you learn. Soon, the Ankenbrands found that if they used those pinchers that were invented to retrieve objects from higher shelves would also work to pick up litter. Without having to bend over to pick up every little piece of paper, bottle, or can, they would just reach out with their pincher and drop the object in the bag. The fuller the bags got, the easier it was to rip out the bottom. They solved this problem by using empty dog food bags. These bags are reinforced to carry heavy weights of dog food, and they work great for rubbish too. ”These bags are great because I can use them multiple times without worrying about the bottom being ripped out”, says Susan. Ank adds, ”We simply cut a hole on the side of the bag and line the edges with duct tape which makes the bag easier to carry”.

The Ankenbrands have come to the conclusion that they cannot clean Ferguson single-handedly. They have begun a grass-roots effort to involve other like-minded residents to pick up and keep Ferguson a litter free community. If you would like to get involved with this group of citizens, you can contact Ank and Susan at rsank@sbcglobal.net.

If you remember how the city looked after the City-Wide Clean-up, you know what we can accomplish in one morning. Even though the city was close to litter free after that morning, this is not something that can be done once a year, we must carry on! Get involved.

I’ve also noticed a lot of chatter on one of Ferguson’s Social Media sites about our downtown. How can we help the business and building owners to get their businesses in tip top-shape? With the pandemic playing havoc with the economy of the small businesses that we count on in our downtown, what can the city offer as an incentive to make our downtown beautiful?

With a lot of businesses closing down, and companies allowing their workers to work from home, commercial real estate is going to be hurt because of the pandemic. Will the owners of the empty buildings be willing to work with small businesses allowing these businesses a short-term lease, or maybe split a building into an incubator of small businesses to share a space? We toured a building a little over a year ago where the space was split into small, two or three hundred square foot areas linked together by a common space. This worked out really well because not everyone is capable of setting up a business in their home, especially if you have clients visiting your business.

I don’t know where or what happened with all of the posts from the social media, but the first thing that needs to get done, is all of the boards need to come down. If glass needs to be replaced, replace it. That includes the Police Station! What kind of example are we setting if we can’t clean up our own house? After the boards are down and glass replaced if necessary, then the windows need to be decorated to what you want your business to portray. Take a look at Style-Tenasous at 427 South Florissant Road. When I drive by and look at their windows, I know exactly what they have to offer. We have a lot of work to get our downtown and city back to the vibrant main street it once was. Are you up to the challenge? I know you are. Get involved by getting Ferguson cleaned up, join us any time you have a chance to do your part. Talk to your elected officials and find out what they are doing to help our main street become the downtown you want, and if you have any ideas, tell them. As they say, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, and neither will Ferguson, but we need to start somewhere. Will you be part of the renaissance?

fergusonmainstreet.org

These past couple of months, I’ve been sharing with you the four-point approach of the Main Street Program which consists of; Promotion, Organization, Economic Vitality and Design. The Italicized part is cut from the Main Street Website that explains one of those four points. Then I will give you my thoughts on how we can work together to make the points work together to make our community the community we love.

Promotion – projects a positive, unified image to identify downtown as a gathering place. Revitalization programs market the district and the community through a series of targeted activities such as special events and festivals, which highlight the local culture, art, music, dance and traditions that give each community its unique identity.

Revisiting the Downtown Vision that was discussed last month, Ferguson planned to use Main Street’s ‘Four Point Approach’ as the direction to make our downtown an appealing destination. With the help of the business owners and the citizens, the Ferguson City leaders can lead us to make the best use of this approach, which has been described these past few months.

As you know, due to the pandemic, many of the activities that we have been enjoying for many years had to be canceled. With a positive attitude, I believe we will be getting back on track to sponsoring some activities in the near future. The concerts at 501 may return, but not as frequently. StreetFest may be just one evening, Northern Lights may just be the parade. Whatever comes about is only the beginning of the many great things that will be a part of Main Street, our down town.

What can you do to make our downtown like that again!?

For starters, let’s pick up the trash. Did you know that clean streets show that you respect your community? Talk to the business owners and ask what they need help with to get our downtown looking beautiful again, and persuade the City of Ferguson to ask building owners what can be done to help them get their buildings back in order.

Then of course, we can frequent our businesses and tell them that they are a very important part of our community and without them, we would have no community. Encourage the business owners to get involved with their Main Street by setting the example, be a part of the Main Street program yourself.

By supporting the local businesses, you are supporting your city. Any tax money being brought into our coffers only goes to help the city support our community. Even though we share the taxes collected with other communities around St. Louis County, if we support our own, we will have fewer empty buildings, businesses will see your support, which allows them to grow, which means more employees, which goes hand-in-hand with less unemployment, which means a positive local economy, which means more money to hire bigger and better entertainment.

See how it works? Ferguson is going to be a great place to be during the ‘Rolling Twenties’ of the 21st Century. Check it out; Ferguson MainStreet is looking for volunteers to help make our Down-Town a downtown of which we are proud. This is a fairly new organization that has been trying to gain some momentum to encourage the businesses owners, residents of the city and the City of Ferguson, what a showcase our DownTown can be. Why not get involved and join us, so that we, together can make our downtown, our Main Street.

Check out the website listed below and contact us when you are ready to make a commitment to Main Street, your DownTown. With the help from the Missouri Main Street Connection, (MMSC), we will use their ‘Formula for Success’ to create a positive structure that will enable a group of people to work together to bring our downtown, our Main Street, the success it needs to move our community forward. Let’s get some traction behind our ‘Main Street’ Get involved. Stay involved. Make Ferguson a community you want to call home.

FergusonMainStreet.org

The past couple of months, I’ve been sharing with you the fourpoint approach of the Main Street Program which consists of; Design, Promotion, Organization, and Economic Vitality. The Italicized part is cut from the Main Street Website that explains one of those four points. Then I will give you my thoughts on how we can work together to make the points work together to make our community the community we love.

Design- enhances the visual attractiveness of downtown. This includes technical assistance and encouragement to building owners toward the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures, street and alley cleanup, colorful banners and landscaping. Attention must be paid to safe and efficient infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and the appearance of storefronts, signs, street lights, window displays and graphic materials. Design improvements should be developed through a public-private partnership by  reinvestment of public and private dollars in downtown.

In the late nineties, the Downtown Vision in Ferguson planned to use Main Street’s ‘Four Point Approach’ as the direction to make our down town an appealing destination. The plan was heading in the correct direction and was beginning to make headway before everything got turned around.

Today, our downtown doesn’t look the way that the Vision of our Downtown was supposed to look as planned in the late 90’s. Our Main Street was to have all of the things described in the Design section as outlined above. Buildings were restored and maintained. The sidewalks and their gutters were cleaned of trash. Planters blooming in season and decorated seasonally. Colorful banners waved in the breeze on our beautiful streetlights. People sitting on benches greeting whomever came along. It was going to be a downtown that you were proud to stroll along, hand-in-hand with your date. Sounds wonderful doesn’t it?

That’s not what I’m seeing along our Main Street now. I don’t see storefront windows displaying their ware, shopkeepers sweeping up the sidewalk, wonderful aromas wafting from the bakery on the corner with coffee brewing. Unless you can look past the boards.

What can we do to make our downtown like that again!? For starters, let’s pick up the trash, that’s easy enough, but if you just don’t know where to start, grab some friends and take a stab at it. Who knows, you might just meet some new friends. Talk to the business owners and ask what they need to help get our downtown looking beautiful again, and persuade the City of Ferguson to ask building owners what can be done to help them get their buildings back in order.

Then of course, we can frequent our businesses and tell them that they are a very important part of our community and without them, we would have no community. Encourage the business owners to get involved with their Main Street by setting the example, be a part of the Main Street program yourself.

Check it out; Ferguson MainStreet is looking for volunteers to help make our Downtown a down town that we are proud. This is a fairly new organization that has been trying to gain some momentum to encourage the businesses owners, residents of the city and the City of Ferguson, what a showcase our DownTown can be. As we began our journey to organize the group, the ‘rona’ came to town, and along with our businesses, the group came to a screeching halt. Today, why not get involved and join us, so that we, together can make our down town, our Main Street.

Check out the website listed below and contact us when you are ready to call Main Street, your DownTown.

With the help from the Missouri Main Street Connection, (MMSC), we will use their ‘Formula for Success’ to create a positive structure that will enable a group of people to work together to bring our downtown, our Main Street, the success it needs to move our community forward. Get involved. Stay involved. Make Ferguson a community you want to call home.

Ferguson Still Needs You!

I’ve been reading a lot of posts on Next Door, Facebook’s, Ferguson, Missouri Friends, and Neighbors, even articles here in the Ferguson Times about our litter problem. What can be done?

Well my friends, family, and neighbors, it’s time that we take matters into our own hands and ‘Boycott Litter’. You heard me right, BOYCOTT LITTER! Did you hear me that time?

How do we Boycott Litter? Do we need the city to sponsor another litter pick-up day with hot dogs and hamburgers as a reward? Do we continue to complain about our litter problem on social media?

The answer to those last two questions is ‘No’. The answer to the first question is that we start a movement! But what is a movement without a name? I’ll tell you; a movement is nothing without a name, nothing is what it is, it’s nothing. So, I want to propose that we start this Litter Pick-up Movement and we call it;

Operation Clean Ferg-Nation!

What do you think? Does it have a ring to it? Operation Clean Ferg-Nation. I like it!

What’s next? Get out and pick up some trash.

We’ve all been stuck at home for over a month now and if you’re anything like me, you need to get out. Go for a walk but don’t forget to take along a trash bag, bucket, trash picking up stick/pincher, and disposal gloves. Walk around the block, or maybe two, maybe even through downtown and pick-up all of the litter that you see, if you can. When you get back home, throw the bag or bucket of trash in your garbage can and put your tools away, just don’t forget to take off your gloves and throw them on the ground before washing your hands. (Maybe another civic minded soul will come along and pick-up your gloves.)

There you go; easy peasy. Now don’t you feel better about yourself? About your community?

Wait a minute, if you would take a walk past the area that you just picked up every single piece of trash, you’d be lucky to not find more. Did I miss that piece of trash? Am I going crazy? (Well maybe, but I’m not one to judge.) No, you’re not crazy, that’s new trash! Do you get mad? No, you just pick it up and dispose of it properly and that’s why you should always have your arsenal of Litter Disposal Implements (LDI) at your disposal.

My philosophy about the problem with our thoughtless litterers is they don’t know better. They were never taught that they shouldn’t throw their trash out the window of their cars. (It makes their cars messy, and we don’t want that now, do we?) Think about this; trash gets picked up on windy days. I know I threw some trash here yesterday but the wind took care of it. You know that some people may actually believe that, but we know better, because we were there and we picked up the litter.

This is not an issue that is going to take care of itself; if we were to take a walk around the block and pick up all the trash and not do it again and again and again, all of that work would be for naught. This is not a ‘one and done’ boycott. Yes, we need to keep up the good work. We need to do this and we cannot count on anyone else to do it for us. So, make the commitment and get out there and pick up some trash. If you were to pick up litter for one hour a week for a month, that would be four hours of litter pick-up a month. Could you imagine if 20 people made that commitment of one hour a week, that would be a total of 80 hours of litter pick-up a month, could you imagine if 200 people made that kind of commitment, do the math, that is approximately only one percent of the City of Ferguson’s population. We know that more than one percent of the population see litter as a problem, and if they are anything like us, could you imagine?

What do think? Are you ready to boycott litter? Are you ready to join the movement; Operation Clean Ferg-Nation? Eventually, we’ll get a handle on the litter problem. The DOJ will say, “Wow, you guys are doing a great job, here’s some money, keep up the good work!.” (When you dream, dream big.)

The litter bugs won’t stop doing their job which means we can’t stop doing our job and, WE WILL OVERCOME this issue, we just need to keep it up.

Who’s with me? Let’s do this. I’ll see you on the streets with your LDI!

Afterword: I was kidding about throwing your disposable gloves on the ground; you should know better. Dispose of them properly.