PLUMMER: Team helps keep it clean

Imagine this headline: "Coeur d'Alene Reservation Residents Spruce Up Coeur d'Alene," followed by the sentences, "They came to find garbage. None were disappointed."

Think it might offend some?

You and your readers may not be aware that the residents of Plummer annually come together with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, the Plummer Community Action Team, One Sky North Idaho and the city of Plummer, as well as many individual community members to conduct a large-scale community clean-up.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has generously provided food for volunteers, trash bags, pick-up trucks and a means to haul off old appliances and scrap metal, and our city provides gloves and refreshments, as do local businesses. Our most recent such event was on June 29 of this year, and as is usual in the spring, we were able to pick up hundreds of pounds of trash. However, over the last few years, our volunteers have proudly noted a substantial decrease in the amount of trash collected, not unlikely in correlation with the increase in community involvement and the positive changes (such as the Veterans' Memorial) that demonstrate the pride in our community.

We are grateful to any and all volunteers who are willing to give time and effort to help our community in its efforts to beautify and create a quality living environment. Unfortunately, the article in last Sunday's Coeur d'Alene Press implied that Plummer residents are the lazy beneficiaries of outside help, with no interest in improving their own community. We hope that in the future, the Coeur d'Alene Press will be more mindful, and less patronizing, in the tone of its articles, and realize that there are hundreds of hard-working individuals who believe that Plummer has always been a beautiful place to live.

DAN JOLIBOIS, Plummer Community Action Team

DEBI CHURCH, Plummer Community Action Team

ANNA MARIE WILLARD, Plummer Community Action Team

LAURA LAUMATIA, One Sky North Idaho

Proud Plummer residents