On a recent Sunday morning, I went for a walk and stopped by the Avis Campbell gardens. It was a cool crispy sunny day. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, and appreciated the beautiful sound of birds singing.
I was there all alone, until a middle-aged man showed up with a black dog. After the dog pooped, on top of a snow pile, the man proceeded to call the dog and was on his way out.
I said to him: “Excuse me, no dog poop bag?” His response was: “Uuhmmm, I’ll come back later. I live across the street.”
As I was leaving I mentioned to him that there was more fresh poop in the walkway.
He said: “Oh, I’ll move it out of your way,” and he kicked it to the side. Again he said he’ll be back later. I then saw him going back into his building across the street.
Three hours later I returned, but he had not come back to clean up his mess! I then noticed that there are many, many piles of poop all over the park, even next to the building near the side entrance.
It seems like this is a regular event that occurs here for dog owners. Where is their pride?
These dog-walkers have made this area their personal dog park. And with no one there to call them up on it, they feel free to disrespect not only this public area, but also the hard work the volunteers put in, to turn this area into a beautiful place for all to enjoy!
I write to you because this problem is unacceptable. Those dog people need to search their consciences and hopefully find some form of decency, and begin to respect other peoples properties, and be thankful such a beautiful place is available for us to enjoy.
Mostly they need to respect themselves, and be proud citizens of this beautiful town we live in.
Jennifer Markham
Montclair
Montclair Local’s Opinion section is an open forum for civil discussion in which we invite readers to discuss town matters, articles published in Montclair, or previously published letters. Views expressed and published in this section are solely those of the writers, and do not represent the views of Montclair Local.
Letters to the editor: To submit a letter to the editor, email letters@montclairlocal.news, or mail “Letters to the Editor,” 309 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ, 07042 (email is preferred). Submissions must include the name, address and phone number of the writer for verification. Only the writer’s name and town of residence will be published. Montclair Local does not publish anonymous opinion pieces.
Letters must be no more than 500 words in length, and must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be eligible for potential publication in that week’s Thursday print issue. Letters may be edited by Montclair Local for grammar and style. While our goal is to publish most letters we receive, Montclair Local reserves the right to decline publication of a letter for any reason, including but not limited to concerns about unproven or defamatory statements, inappropriate language, topic matter far afield of the particular interests of Montclair residents, or available space.
Town Square: Montclair Local also accepts longer-form opinion essays from residents aiming to generate discussion on topics specific to the community, under our “Town
Square” banner. “Town Square” essays should be no more than 750 words in length, and topics should be submitted to letters@montclairlocal.news at least seven days prior to publication.