I know I’m not alone in my dismay over the extent of the toilet-papering of Oak Creek Parkway during South Milwaukee High School Homecoming week.
Now while I don’t necessarily agree with local blogger Jerrianne Hayslett’s link between the toilet paper and sewer backups — I’d like to see more science on this before tying those two issues together — she is right on when she writes this:
Looking at it yesterday reminded me of places I’ve been that is strewn with litter and what a terrible impression that makes on a community. Trashy.
I’m no fuddy-duddy (or am I one simply by using the word “fuddy-duddy” in the first place?), and I can appreciate a good Homecoming tradition, and prank, as much as the next person, but this time it went too far. Trees were covered in toilet paper for block after block down the parkway, east from 15th Avenue to nearly Chicago Avenue. And a good deal of it still remains.
My biggest concern? Not sewer backups, but aesthetics. Oak Creek Parkway is a South Milwaukee jewel, and the toilet paper defaces it, especially once rain and wind wash it from the trees and send it to the ground. Hayslett’s word describes it best: trashy.
I did inquire about this in the days after it happened with our police chief and the school district superintendent.
Chief Ann Wellens wrote back, and she is right when she says the department doesn’t have the resources to prevent this, especially when an estimated 100 students took part. (Although police did confiscate more than 200 rolls of toilet paper before they were used this time).
Instead, I think this is a school district issue, and South Milwaukee Superintendent Dr. Rita Olson did contact me to say they were working to clean it up.
She also extended me an invitation to join the district’s Vision and Planning Committee, which begins meeting next week. One goal of the group of about 35 students, parent, teachers, administrators and community members? Develop “long-term solutions in working with our youth.”
I appreciate the invitation and look forward to the process. And who knows? Maybe we can come up with a solution to toilet-papering, too.
South Milwaukee Blog 