Our View: A neater Havre

We have an idea that will make our area more attractive to tourists and other visitors who want to enjoy our attractions and spend their money at area businesses.

And at the same time, it would make the area more enjoyable for those of us who live here and want to be proud of our community.

The advice: Pick up after yourself.

Maybe it's because Havre is generally a clean city that we notice trash on the street so much. But unsightly worn-out posters and unpicked-up garbage can quickly turn a good-looking city into a trash bin.

For instance, the Havre Daily News is glad to provide our customers with Garage Sale signs that help people locate where the sales are being held. But months after the sale, signs can still be seen marring Havre's landscape. The solution is simple. People who hold garage sales should take the signs down when the sale is over.

Political campaigners in Havre are good about seeing that their signs are taken down after the election. Even losers are out reminding property owners to get the signs down. But sometimes, the signs are seen along the roadway or in vacant lots, making our scenery ugly.

Signs on utility poles may be a good way of getting your message across, but it creates an unsightly mess, a dangerous situation for workers who have to climb the poles and, in many cases, may be illegal.

Springtime is a time to clean up the area, so if you see old signs and posters that should have come down a long time ago, do what the owners should have done a long time ago. Take them down and dispose of them properly.

And more importantly, if you want to put up a sign to advertise your event, make certain it comes down as soon as possible.