A beach littered with trash and plastic bottles, overlaid with a large red prohibition symbol.

Keep it clean on Galveston Island


By Forest Riggs | 

You don’t have to be a meteorologist to know that summer is definitely arriving, and fast. Temperatures have been steadily rising for the past few weeks and, although a nice breeze makes it tolerable at times, it is going to be a hot one this year.

The Island’s favorite weatherman Frank Billingsley tells us that we can expect a really hot summer this year. But hot summers on the Island are good for business! Folks from neighboring areas and distant places love to come bask in the sunshine along the Island’s sandy shores. Crabbers and fishermen (OK, fisherpeople) line piers, rock piles and beaches to catch some seafood for which the Gulf waters are famous. Those that don’t fish are lining-up to enter some the finest restaurants along the southern shore. Yes, summer has arrived!

With the advent of summer and, of course, the throngs of visitors that will be enjoying a Galveston Island retreat, it is once again time to remind all to respect the Island and keep it clean. Every year this is a burden for the Park Board, Beach Patrol, City and County workers as well as residents and visitors trying to enjoy a day at the beach. No one wants to step in, on or around garbage and trash that has been left behind by disrespectful visitors to the beach. It’s nasty!

The Park Board provides blue trash barrels up and down the miles of sandy beachfronts and the Seawall. They are there for a reason and one that is plain and simple: Keep Our Island Clean. Believe it or not, it costs quite a bit of money to maintain the beaches, keep the trash and litter collected, monitor and dump the blue bins. Litter brigades patrolling the beach on foot and placing discarded items in their proper place.

You would think in this day and age, when just about everyone is “going green†due to environmental concerns and increased awareness of negative consequences, that litter would not be a problem. Wrong! It is so disheartening to see people drop a can, unwrap cigarettes and let the wrapper fly, empty ashtrays on the curbs of the Seawall, leave a beach gathering site and simply walk away from beer cans, burger bags, chicken boxes and nasty, used diapers. It just takes a second to put it all in a bag and drop it in the blue barrels.

The same goes for dumping burned charcoal from a barbeque pit on the sand. You may think it is harmless, but it is not. Plastic bags blow along the shore and dune areas, often entrapping wildlife and causing injury and even death. There is no sadder sight than a beautiful bird of sea animal found with plastic wrapped around it, cutting into its flesh. This can be prevented.
As Galvestonians and visitors flock to the beaches, many bring their dogs along for some sunny fun and exercise. The beach is not a litter box or place to forget good manners. No one wants to go running through the sand and get animal excrement between their toes! Pick up after your dog when you are on the beach. In fact, whether on Galveston or not, you should always pick-up after your pets. It does not present a good image of a beautiful island if the Seawall and sidewalks are littered with piles of dog feces. There was a time when a glass container on the seawall got you a citation. Perhaps that should come back for allowing your dog to defecate on the path and then walk away leaving it to be tracked by other visitors.

Recently I returned to my house on the East End to find someone had parked along my curb, most probably going to UTMB as it is very close. Before they left, they dumped their trash onto my freshly mowed lawn. Two soda bottles, some ratty, old ear plugs, several used tissues and piece of mail from Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Sadly for them and great for me, the crumpled letter, though opened, clearly displayed the name and address of the disrespectful island visitor. They live on Mierrianne Street in Houston.

Maybe it’s a nice area — I don’t know — but if they treat their own yard and surroundings like they treated mine, shame on them.

I did write a rather “stinging†message to the individual and in it, explained how it made me feel to come and find their trash, especially when my trash receptacle was less than five paces from where they emptied their car! Littering can come with a fine, I explained, as well as trespassing and to think about this next time you toss something out onto a public or private space.
Will it stop them from their careless actions? Probably not, but they might just think about it a little.

Come on down to the Island. Galvestonians are proud of their island and though readily admit it is not the Caribbean, it is nevertheless a beautiful places that deserves respect and appreciation.

The summer sands are calling! Just leave your trash and dog poo where it belongs.

Forest Riggs, a resident of Galveston is no stranger to the adventures of life. A former educator and business owner, he enjoys Island life and all that comes with it. He says he is a “raconteur with a Quixotic, gypsy spirit.†He has written for several newspapers and magazines as well as other writing pursuits, including a novel and collection of short stories.

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