NATCHEZ &045; Arella Bacon really got her start helping clean up Natchez in 1995 with an effort through Keep Mississippi Beautiful to clean up on the north side of town.

&uot;It was so much, I couldn’t believe,&uot; she said. Trash that is.

Bacon, now coordinator of Keep Natchez-Adams County Beautiful, had an eye-opening experience while cleaning up all that litter in Natchez. Now, she said, she sees it all around.

&uot;Some of the things around where I live are so littered too,&uot; Bacon said. &uot;Anyone loves to come see something that is beautiful and clean. Businesses want to see a clean place. Natchez is a beautiful city, why can’t it be clean?

&uot;We know litter is one of the big problems that is easier to do than some of the other things.&uot;

Volunteers, education and enforcement are all ways Bacon said the litter problem in Natchez can be solved.

&uot;Money can’t do it all,&uot; Bacon said. &uot;We’re gonna have to have volunteers that want to make it beautiful.&uot;

But Bacon is not the only one who sees litter as a problem in the city and county. Local residents who have helped clean the city with Bacon for Keep Natchez-Adams County Beautiful really want to see something done about all the litter.

Mary Ann Granger, member of Ruritan, a community service organization, said when she taught school, she taught the children about litter and &uot;tried to instill it in them when they were young.&uot;

Following through, the students would pick up litter at the school.

Downtown and highly trafficked areas are not the only problems, neighborhoods are too.

&uot;It’s a pride and honor thing,&uot; Ruritan member Routh Cravell said.

Others agreed that if people in the neighborhoods would get together to clean their neighborhoods, that would be the way to solve the problem.

&uot;Everywhere you go there’s trash, trash,&uot;4-H and Ruriteen leader Hattie Harris said. &uot;Trash is supposed to be everybody’s business.&uot;

The right way, Bacon said, is for everyone in the community to come together and &uot;work toward the betterment of Adams County.&uot;

One group of people these women feel can be most instrumental in a downturn in littering is law enforcement.

The women said they do not see ordinances against littering enforced, although it is hard to enforce unless someone is caught in the act.

There are fines if someone is caught littering but these women believe a harsher punishment might lead to determent, such as hours of community service picking up the litter.

To help curb litter, at least downtown, clubs like 4-H, Ruritan and Ruriteen are looking to adopt parts of downtown to keep clean. Some will take a block or more and be dedicated to keeping it clean, Bacon said.

One of the larger areas for litter downtown &045; the tree wells. Bacon said one would not believe how much trash has been picked up just from the tree wells.

And in April when there was a city and county-wide clean up, Bacon said at least 80 bags of trash of litter were collected.

Of course, all of these women acknowledged litter is not the only problem in Natchez, just an &uot;unsightly&uot; one they feel passionate about.

As of now, Bacon said the clubs are the best way to get help and volunteers right now.

In fact, two more teenage groups (Ruriteen) and an adult group (Ruritan) are being chartered Aug. 29 and 30.

Bacon said she feels this is something everyone in the community, no matter their age, race, economic status or social status, should join together to do. &uot;That is what we need to get it all over the community,&uot; Bacon said.