To the editor:
My family has been Marblehead residents for six years, living on Washington Street, downhill from Abbot Hall toward town. During that time, there have been more than a dozen Tuesday mornings when we’ve woken up to trash scattered down our street after a windy night.
This past Tuesday was a perfect storm. High winds overnight sent exposed trash — especially open recycling bins — into the roadway. It was also the first pickup after Christmas, so there was more waste than usual: cardboard boxes, cans and bottles from holiday gatherings. To make matters worse, a pipe burst at a house near the top of the hill, sending water down Washington Street that froze overnight. Paper and cardboard became embedded in the ice, along with the salt the town had to apply to make the road passable.
I understand that not everyone can bring their trash to the curb the morning of pickup. The first truck comes down our street around 7:20 a.m., and for some, that’s simply not realistic. But when severe weather is forecast overnight — especially high winds — I think it’s reasonable to ask residents to make an exception. Leaving trash out the night before, particularly loose recycling, too often results in debris blowing through our streets and into the harbor.
Marblehead is a beautiful town, and this happens frequently. I spent part of Tuesday cleaning up Washington Street, knowing many neighbors were out of town for the holidays. A small shift in timing — bringing trash out in the morning when possible during windy weather — could make a meaningful difference for all of us.
Respectfully,
Scott Snyder
Washington Street
