Living in Aurora, Town of Aurora, Ontario » Anti-Litter

Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day, Successful Day, Cold Day, Not My Day

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Sat, 04 May 2013 03:47:07 +0000

I don’t want to remind you about the cold weather we had few weeks ago on April 20, 2013, during the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day. That day I arrived at the Town Park after lunch and obviously I missed bunch of stuff.

I intended to stay little longer but nothing really was happening and the cold weather sent me home with the wind.

Water for Tomorrow

However, I don’t want to miss this post since I was very pleased with few changes especially the portable water supply tank as opposed to serving soda drinks or bottled water and creating more garbage. Here is what I wrote last year, Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day Event Great Event, Short On Innovation.

However, there is always room for improvement, something we don’t have control of, we needed warmer weather that day.

Eating Lunch, Town Park, Town Park

Playful Dog, Town Park, Aurora

Happy to be back and blogging. In the past few days I had an opportunity to finally get out and start photographing.

Spring flowers come out in the spring and so am I. However, I just don’t come out, I burst out.

Unfortunately, I will be missing the Military Tatoo Sesquicentennial event on Sunday May 5th. Instead, I will be celebrating Ukrainian Easter with my family.

Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day Event Great Event, Short On Innovation

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:00:09 +0000

It all started with the reminding announcement I heard on the radio yesterday while driving home. The announcer sounded rather sarcastic than encouraging the Aurora Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day participation.

Today was the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day and I don’t even know where to begin – I have so many thoughts.

Pitch-In

Let’s start with the positive side of the anti-litter day event. Any type of awareness is good for the community. Its good for the environment and its good for our children as they are our future and we need to teach them good environmental habits.

Congratulations to all who participated in today’s event.

Waiting

The Town of Aurora announced this event on their site and concluded with this statement: ‘Last year, Aurorans collected 1.94 tonnes (1940 kilograms) of litter and we are looking to collect even more in 2012.‘

Is more better you may ask yourself? I asked my husband the same question after the event not seeing the above statement yet. I stated – ‘I hope that this year during this event less garbage will be collected.‘

Hopefully They Are Asking The Same Question?

Collecting less and less litter during this day event is a positive outcome and it means that the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day awareness is working. It was rather disappointing to read that the Town of Aurora was looking forward to collect more litter in 2012.

I know, I know, I am picking on something probably very insignificant and I am sure that whoever wrote this note did not mean for us to interpret that way. I am sure they meant that more volunteers will come out and help to clean up our town. More of us out, more garbage collected.

Take Pride In Our Parks & Do Not Litter

Then another question popped in my head later on – are we innovative?

I admit, I did not participate in collecting garbage today (I got my reasons) but we did come to the Town Park to enjoy the activities with Matthew just before lunch. Park was still preparing for the celebration – food and fun activities for volunteers and families. We had an opportunity to enjoy few things without waiting in long lines.

We had other obligations, so we left before volunteers arrived for the celebration.

Recyclable Drinks

Yes, innovation came to my mind when I saw blue recycle boxes full of drinks in cans and plastic bottles. So how innovative is that? Volunteers spend three hours collecting garbage around the town and then we come to the town park to generate more garbage. I just find this ironic.

I am sure anti-littering day event is not only to tell littering people not to litter, but bring up the complete environmental awareness how bad to the environment is the littering concept.

Hopefully Others Will Say The Same Thing

So here is what I have to say. We have to be more innovative. Repeating same thing over and over again does not make things greener. We need to think about solutions that work. We need to educate children to develop good habits.

Thinking?

Last year about 2000 kg of litter was collected. If I recall last year’s event, I have seen some interesting items piled up in the pick up areas. I think if you reuse what was collected you could easily assemble living space for a one person.

The good news is that we did not have such things this year, at least in the area where I live. But if we collect about the same weight of litter, then that means we collected more of light garbage.

We Cannot Just Have Fun

How can we reduce littering? Not so fast, first we need to identify source of littering. Probably the biggest litter comes from blue boxes that are filled to the top on the windy day. Second source comes from people who litter.

Fishing For Ideas For Next Year?

Our blue box broke. The garbage man is to blame. Town will replace your blue box with a new one. All you need to do is to bring broken one for a worthwhile exchange. We did and we got not just brand new box but taller one. We did not have chance to use it yet as we continue to have technical difficulties filling up the smaller blue box.

Hint, put three inch mark inside the blue box from the top that shows recommended fill up height and develop habit to never pass that mark.

Put This Year Behind & Let Us Be More Innovative Next Year

Perhaps in years to come the Mayor’s Anti-Litter day will be more strategic and innovative. I am hoping to see less litter on the ground, less litter collected and less litter generated as a result of this awareness.

Lastly, lets hope that next year I will also capture some innovative ideas on photos because this year was just like last year.

Town Park, Aurora

Sunday Break, That Was In April, Time Flies

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:01:13 +0000

Sunday photo showcase. All posts titled Sunday Break are photo(s) only and a quote. Posted photos may not be necessary the most current one and as always it is all about Town of Aurora. Enjoy!

Town Park, Town of Aurora

‘Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.’ ~ Carl Sandburg

Desperate Measures, Do We Really Need More Signs?

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 05:02:55 +0000

This is absolutely a great idea, and I could not agree more. The article ‘Councillor’s Notice of Motion would create smoke-free areas near town’s recreations facilities‘ published in THE AURORAN, Week of Auguts 2, 2011 on page 3 was an interesting reading and in my favor. The Councillor Abel proposed to increase smoke-free areas around recreational facilities, including playgrounds.

It’s about time law enforcement got as organized as organized crime. ~ by Rudolph Giuliani.

This also reminded me our last visit to the Town’s Park Splash Pad and how awful it was to stand around people who smoked close by. We couldn’t do much because our boy was playing near by, no choice but to accelerate our visit at the pad. He stated that ‘most people would not smoke around their children or their environment‘, well he is wrong on this one as I have seen many cases where parents smoke around their children and in presence of other children at the playgrounds.

He also stated ‘it would take a lot of funds and resources to monitor these sorts of events‘. I could not agree more again. These are all valid statements. They are in favor of our children and who would not agree. So I was agreeing while reading this article – yes, yes this is good.

But wait a minute there is something wrong with this picture.

How possibly can I agree on the above? NO I WILL NOT. It will be just another useless sign put out in our town.

The article ‘Residents semi-successful in dangerous dog appeal‘ published Week of August 9, 2011 on the front page of THE AURORAN is a perfect example of useless signs in our town. If the town enforced the by-law for dogs off the leash (a rope or similar material attached to the neck or head of an animal for restraint or control), we would not have this incident in the first place.

I am repeating this again and again. I had dog jumped on me last year (a friendly puppy according to the owner). I had another dog charging at me on the soccer field where the owner had to raise serious voice on them in order for them to get back and be leashed, and these were not small dogs. Size probably close to the German Shepherd dog. I continue to see dog owners letting their dogs off the leash.

I don’t drive. I walk. I see. I see every day. People take dogs to the parks and playgrounds and let them out. Then why bother having just another useless sign if not enforced.

Last spring I was completely disgusted and tired bringing dirty shoes, and not just the dirt. The melted snow revealed lot of hidden illegal doggy treasures. Now I see it is happening again. A month ago I have noticed someone took time to create these home made signs with plastic covers (in plastic so they last longer) asking politely to scoop the poop after the dog. The signs appeared all around the Hamilton Park.

Attention Dog Owners

I noticed about 6 of them plaster all over the posts and garbage cans. Desperate measures, residents acting on their own wasting their time and resources on top of the tax dollars they have to pay to keep our streets clean. Then why bother having just another useless sign if not enforced.

Attention Dog Owners Again

The other time I wrote about people dumping in front, not just close by, but in front of the No Dumping sign – By Law No Dumping Dump Ditty Dump Dump Dump. Then why bother having just another useless sign if not enforced.

How about no litter signs? We need those too, but then why bother having just another useless sign which will not be enforced.

Littering, McKenzie Marsh

[Thinking] I have an idea. I think instead of another sign we should have a column in our local newspaper from the Town of Aurora dedicated to all the by-laws in town stating fines as well. It probably would raise eyebrows for some. Here is an example.

Dear Aurora Residents:

Keep your dogs on the leash everywhere and anytime of the day or night; otherwise $$$ fine.

Pick up after your dog during all four beautiful seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer; otherwise $$$ fine.

Pick Up After Your Dog - Sign

Do not leave bag full of poop hanging on the tree in the park; otherwise $$$ fine.

Stop dumping in front of No Dumping signs. We know who you are – your patio is looking great. Fine $$$.

Do not litter. If we don’t fine you we will pass charge on Tim Hortons and McDonalds for littering. Fine $$$.

Try not to hide 4th, and 5th dog or cat in the house. Fine $$$ for every over the limit animal.

Do not let the cat go outside before going to the litter-box; otherwise $$$ fine.

When parking on the street don’t just rotate your tires every 24 hours, move to the next spot. Fine $$$.

When you have dust in your eyes, you forgot to use water jet when cutting stone. Fine $$$, more fine for dust in your neighbors eyes.

Idling Car

No mercy if you forgot to turn off the ignition key. Fine $$$.

What can I say more? What will another sign do? Probably absolutely nothing. I think it is plain simple that we just keep plastering our town with signs that mean nothing. We need more than that, a by-law enforcement officer and real fines. With all this illegal activity the collected fines may even cover the officer’s salary plus some money for the town.

Kidding aside, I think Councillors Abel’s Notice of Motion for smoke-free is good one, but lets look at the existing by-law signs and their effectiveness. Something to think about.

Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day, Event Photo Coverage

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:36:31 +0000

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day event past Saturday April 30th, but I came just in time for lunch at the Town Park, as spectator only. The truth is that I had some time during the afternoon, day was really beautiful for pictures and I wanted to take some photos of the Wells St. School, which I did. However, why not, I snapped some famous faces from Aurora. I know only few, but some stood out for a reason.

To start it was refreshing to see this add in green this time.

May 1st, 2011 Mandatory Use of Compostable Bags For Green Bin

A young lady singing beautifully with her band.

Singing Voices

Former Town of Aurora Mayor Tim Jones proudly supporting Libral candidate for Newmarket-Aurora Kyle Peterson and talking to the people in the crowd.

Former Mayor Tim Jones

I thought this photo below is a must for the event. I always enjoy when people wear something traditional and stand out in the crowd.

The Spirit of Traditions

Venessa Long, the Green Party candidate for Newmarket-Aurora. I am assuming she is with her family here. I didn’t vote for the Green Party this time, but I gave my signature so she can run as a candidate in Newmarket-Aurora. Little contribution, but better than nothing.

Venessa Long

Our Mayor of course.

Current Mayor of Town of Aurora, Geoff Dawe

A man proudly supporting the event. He did look like someone I have seen before. However, I loved the spirit and involvement with the crowd.

Event Supporter

Lastly, this must be the event photographer. It may sound funny, but those behind cameras rarely are photographed. So how can you ever proof that the picture you took is yours.

Event Photographer

I am sure this turned out to be a successful Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day.