Celiac support meeting

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University of Scranton holds Wellness Day for employees

<p>Put on work gloves this weekend and do some spring cleaning &#8211; not in your house, but in the outdoors.</p><p>You and like-minded people in Luzerne and surrounding counties can quickly improve the look of the region&#8217;s landscapes, and display pride of place, by participating in the <a href="http://www.gacofpa.org/" target="_blank">Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania</a>.</p><p>The beautification effort, a springtime campaign that reaches its zenith around Earth Day, this Friday, involves thousands of area volunteers who pluck litter from roadsides and stream banks as well as playgrounds and other public spaces. Certain participants, meanwhile, focus on ridding discarded vehicle tires, furniture and other items from illegal dumpsites that mar unattended lots, wooded spots and former mining strips.</p><p>This all-out blitz against icky terrain results in immediate benefits:</p><p>&#8226; The cleanup of abused sites discourages further dumping, especially if accompanied by surveillance efforts and warning signs. (For details on keeping spots debris-free, visit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful&#8217;s website devoted to its anti-dumping program, <a href="http://illegaldumpfreepa.org/" target="_blank">IllegalDumpFreePA.org</a>.)</p><p>&#8226; Threats to public health are removed from the environment. Metal contaminants and other hazardous substances, commonly found in electronic devices and construction waste, can leach into the soil and water. Better to remove the castoff material than to simply bemoan why someone didn&#8217;t properly dispose of the stuff. Ditto for all those rubber tires, which can fill with water and serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disease-bearing vermin.</p><p>&#8226; Aesthetically, our community appears more inviting to visitors and move livable to those who call it home.</p><p>You can locate a nearby cleanup by visiting this website: <a href="http://www.gacofpa.org/" target="_blank">gacofpa.org</a>, then clicking on &#8220;Find an Event&#8221; and your county&#8217;s name. Or call 1-877-772-3673 ext. 113.</p><p>Activities are planned Saturday at Nescopeck State Park and at least 10 Luzerne County municipalities, ranging from little Jeddo to the city of Nanticoke, according to the online listing. (From past experience, we also know organizers will be orchestrating cleanups in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton.)</p><p>You can gripe about unsightly conditions and the mindless people responsible for detracting from this region with their messes. Or, as with most social problems, you can roll up your sleeves and do something about it.</p><p>Muster family members, friends or neighbors and get involved in the Great American Cleanup. Or mobilize your school, Scout, civic or sports group.</p><p>It&#8217;ll be easier if we all pitch in.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Area residents routinely display pride in place by volunteering to remove litter and heavier debris from parks, playgrounds, roadsides and other public spaces. Will you pitch in this year? </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Cleanup.jpg</photo0><caption0>Area residents routinely display pride in place by volunteering to remove litter and heavier debris from parks, playgrounds, roadsides and other public spaces. Will you pitch in this year? </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Survey results</strong></p><p>Earlier this year, we asked the Times Leader&#8217;s online readers, &#8220;Why does illegal dumping persist in Northeastern Pennsylvania?&#8221;</p><p>The top answer, garnering 32 percent of responses: &#8220;Some people are slobs.&#8221;</p><p>Other poll responses included &#8220;disposal/hauling fees are too high&#8221; (26 percent), &#8220;poor enforcement&#8221; (24 percent), old habits die hard&#8221; (9 percent), &#8220;some people are lazy&#8221; (7 percent) and &#8220;other&#8221; (3 percent).</p></factboxMeta></div>

Our Opinion: Be part of massive campaign to clear litter from NEPA’s public spaces