Picking up trash is an activity that can be enjoyable and rewarding -- good exercise, too. All of us who are not mobility challenged can pick up litter either on our own or in groups. I often take shopping bags with me on my morning walk to Metro and pick up trash along the bike trail.

When I was in third grade, I started a Woodsy Owl Club in my school -- remember "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute?" We got small groups of kids together after school to walk around our neighborhoods to pick up trash. Student leaders can add this to their club activities and senior citizens can add litter pick-up to regular walks. Another easy thing we can all do is not litter ourselves. Remember to be assertive if you see your friends or family members littering.

Obviously, Public Works needs to take care of routes that are not open to pedestrians, make sure trash receptacles are available, and post and enforce no-littering rules. But, with our county government overstretched as it is, I think we should do all we can as private citizens to promote clean neighborhoods, and let the government focus on other pressing priorities like protecting our safety, improving schools and repairing roads.

Heather Iliff, College Park