Included in a story in Wednesday's Times Observer about the cleanup after Warren's Fourth of July Parade was a thank you from Vinnie Massa of the city's Department of Public Works to a group of volunteers from Calvary Baptist Church who cleaned up the parade route between Conewango Avenue and Market Street.
We would like to add our thanks to his and throw out a suggestion.
Judging from the roll-off dumpster filled to the brim with the flotsam of the parade, there was plenty of work to be done. Imagine if other groups of volunteers like those from Calvary Baptist were to join in.
Yes, the City of Warren does a good job of cleaning up the mess. Yes, there is always a mess, no matter how many pleas there are for people to clean up after themselves.
The community spirit exhibited in the church's volunteer efforts deserve recognition and imitation.
We would like to suggest that the Parade Committee of the Warren Fourth of July Celebration present Calvary Baptist with some token of appreciation at next year's festivities; perhaps a plaque, a trophy, a proclamation, or even simply a public thank you from the reviewing stand.
In a town that has turned the placement of chairs along the parade route days or weeks ahead into some sort of mass obsessive-compulsive act, how about investing some of that effort into keeping the place clean?
There could be an effort to organize volunteer groups, coordinate their efforts to cover the entire route, and save the city's taxpayers the expense of DPW overtime.
More over, it would show visitors just how dedicated we are to keeping Warren a pleasant place to visit and live. It would be a terrific testimony to this community's pride of place.