To the Editor:
If you have ever walked along the main avenues in Bayonne, or driven along the main streets and up and down the side streets you would probably be saying to yourself, “what a mess this town has become.” People who were born and raised in Bayonne see the difference in how dirty the town has become. If you are on Broadway between 30th and 38th Streets, you will find all types of garbage and debris blowing all over the sidewalks. Those streets do have garbage receptacles at the curb for people to put their garbage in. Look at all the sewers at the corners of all the streets. They are filled with weeds, bottles, and cups, etc. When I have family come to town for a visit, I try not to take my relatives and friends for drives around the town because I am so embarrassed about how dirty everything looks in Bayonne.
Bayonne has roughly 65,000 residents if I am correct. Drive into the city of Union City, only a few minutes away, it also has approximately the same number of residents. I went there to meet a few friends and was shocked and amazed at how spotless the streets are. There is not one piece of garbage in the sewers at their curb. Not one weed is sticking up from the corner at the sewer and gutters. The sidewalks and streets are meticulous. They have garbage receptacles on all of their sidewalks. In Bayonne you have to beg to get them on the corners or even on one block.
Obviously there is something wrong when Bayonne has a group of men walking up and down Broadway every single day supposedly picking up the debris and garbage from the sidewalks. I have seen these men work. They are much older, they pick up a piece here and a piece there. Why aren’t they cleaning the edge of the curb at the street and the corners of the streets? Where is the department in charge of cleaning the sewers and gutters of garbage, debris and weeds? This town should be as spotless as Union City. I give Mayor Stack a lot of credit for being able to keep the town in tiptop condition. Mr. Smith, you should take some lessons from the mayor of Union City on how to clean this town up. Maybe you should take a walk yourself down the main streets and see for yourself just how dirty everything has become over the last several years. Maybe the UEZ is spending money senselessly on paying these men who are not doing such a great job.
JOAN PRUDEN