WADSWORTH'S KEY TO THE CITY RECIPIENT - TOM SHUSTER

One of my friends sent this article to me today:

KEY TO THE CITY PRESENTATION:

Mayor Robin Laubaugh shared, "Many of you may not know this year's Key to the City recipient, but actually, many of you do know him (or at least have seen him.)  He quietly serves the City of Wadsworth each day, not seeking anything, just wanting to keep Wadsworth the beautiful community that it is.  For the past several years, this year's recipient can be seen somewhere in the northern part of the community, picking up trash.  He does this every day, but Sunday (or really bad weather) for an astounding 2-4 hours each day!  The boundaries he works are from Chase Bank on High, to Reimer Road to the woods east of the Galaxy, and the on and off ramps.  He sets a wonderful example for all of us.  He has found that as he cleans up areas, that others want to keep it that way, and he has less to pick up.  Our recipient is a retired teamster, who drove a truck for 37 years.  He wanted a way to make a difference and to keep healthy and active.  This year's Key to the City recipient is Tom Shuster."

I am so happy Tom received this award.  Nobody deserves it more.  I've seen him several times with his bucket and trash grabber.

I was in Columbus yesterday, and I didn't see any trash.  Today, I drove down Wilbeth Road, and it is beyond messy.  The trash at the exit ramp where the panhandler sits would fill a trash bag.  There are beer cans, car parts, including a bumper, fast food wrappers and bags of trash all along the sidewalk from my house to Arlington Road.  As soon as the snow melts, I'll be back out there cleaning it up, and it won't take long.  I just wonder if other people driving by are as disgusted as I am.

I reread the article above.  "He wanted a way to make a difference and to keep healthy and active."  I've been picking up trash in Akron for two years now, and I honestly believed I could make a difference.  Now, I'm not so sure.

Is Wadsworth clean because it's a small city?  No, because Columbus is a large city and it's clean.  Columbus is 38 times larger than Wadsworth, five times larger than Akron.  I think Wadsworth is clean because so many people care.  And I think Columbus is clean for the same reason.

How do I get people to care about Akron?  There has to be a way.