Litter dirties town and environment

To the Editor:

There is too much litter being thrown or dropped along the edges of roads in Ashburnham. Cigarette butts have been determined though surveys elsewhere to be the greatest percentage of litter. Butts are the most polluting to the environment. Don't vehicles have ashtrays? Why are there cigarette packs and sometimes just plastic wrapping thrown on the road most every day?

There are non-winning lottery scratch tickets along the sidewalks everyday that I pass by. The Massachusetts Lottery Commission even has a second chance drawing to help alleviate this problem. Why are there beer cans and water bottles by the side of the road? And cups from Cumberland Farms? Why do people throw their receipts into the dirt outside Ashburnham Market Place? Don't people care? Litter can hurt wildlife too.

Also look at the Ashburnham General By-Laws in Chapter IX: Use of Public Ways and Places, Section 5: "No person shall place rubbish, garbage, bottles, cans, nails or any substances dangerous to persons or vehicles on any public way." I have found many nails and other metal items while walking and running along the edge of the roads in Ashburnham. At least the trails in the woods where I run most often are much cleaner.

For more information you can see the following Web sites: cigarettelitter.com and nobutts.com; massachusetts.secondchancebonuszone. com and masslotterycom/about/instantreplaytotals2006. pdf; chintiminiwildlife.org and planetark.org.

Sherisa Sterling

Ashburnham