Opinion: Turnout for pond cleanup is encouraging

Talk about it

We imagine there were more than a few Farmington residents watching weather reports with some extra interest last Friday night. With rain, snow and cold forecast for Saturday morning, the nearly 500 people who had volunteered for Farmington's annual park and pond cleanup might have been wondering what they'd gotten themselves into.

As it turned out, the weather wasn't a problem. Saturday was windy, but it was sunny and comfortable enough for the people who ventured out to pick up the trash that had piled up over the winter in the city's parks. It was nice enough, anyway, that many of the Pack 118 Cub Scouts and Troop 118 Boy Scouts who picked up old hubcaps and discarded toys in east Farmington seldom had to think twice about wading out into the water that had accumulated in the area's boulevards in search of a plastic bottle or fast food beverage cup. Many wore heavy jackets or hats, but everybody seemed happy to be there.

Still, while the day ended up nice we're sure at least most of Saturday's volunteers would have shown up for duty had the forecast snow made an appearance.

That is important. Because those volunteers were more than just free labor for the city. They were Farmington residents willing to suffer a little personal discomfort in the interest of their city's best interests. They were residents taking responsibility for the state of their city.

That kind of willingness to help out is important for a city like Farmington. For any city. Showing up to pick up garbage Saturday morning was about more than just making parks and trails look better. It was about taking enough of an interest in the city where you live to put in the time and make it better.

Because people were willing to step forward and help on Saturday Farmington is cleaner and more attractive than it was last week.

Some have worried that Farmington residents will lose some of that connection as it continues to grow. And for some maybe city is a place to sleep at night more than it is a true home.

As long as events like Saturday's continue to grow, though, and as long as Farmington residents continue to take an interest, we believe things will be OK.

Tags: farmington, independent, opinion, editorial, pond, cleanup, city