Litter

The cat's out of the bag. And how. News organizations around the country broke from reports of politics, war and a lurching economy Thursday to lavish their love on 44-pound Powder, picked up by an animal-control officer on the patio of a Voorhees condominium on July 25. And the cat's previous owner has come forward, revealing that the news coverage had unknowingly addressed heavier matters than a weighty cat. Donna Oklatner, 65, said she...

AS I READ about the merger of Fairmount Park and the Department of Recreation, I thought it was time to talk about why many Philadelphians don't respect this unique and irreplaceable gem that other cities would kill to have. These 9,200 acres of green space are often litter-strewn despite countless hours of work from volunteers. Some sections, especially those in the east and west parts of the park, are bordered by unsafe neighborhoods like Parkside and Strawberry Mansion that, like the houses within them, are shells of their former glory.

Watch that cigarette butt, potato chip bag, losing lottery ticket. The price for littering is about to go way up. City Council approved an ordinance yesterday that raises littering fines from $25 to $150 - and $300 if you challenge your fine and lose. "This is one of the few cities in the country where people feel they have an absolute right to throw something out of their car window or toss something at their feet," City Councilman James F. Kenney said. "I hate to have to fine people to not do what should be common sense.

Let's follow Coast Guard's cleanup example As both a veteran and a South Philadelphia resident, I would like to recognize the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard whom I saw picking up litter along Delaware Avenue in South Philly on April 22. Delaware Avenue is one of the most heavily littered roadways in Philadelphia, exposing a long-standing city culture that tolerates littering and the eyesores it creates. While Philadelphians should be proud that men and women in uniform (a vast majority of whom are not Philly natives)

Cleaning Up the Neighborhood What can Philadelphia residents do to rid their neighborhoods of trash - and prevent litter from returning? What has worked in your community? Comment in 100 words or fewer by March 24. Email: suburbanletters@phillynews.com. Put "Litter" in the subject field. Mail: Regional Commentary Page, The Inquirer, 800 River Road, Conshohocken, PA, 19428.

Humane agents raided a property north of Pittsburgh last night, finding hundreds of dead and dying cats in what may be the largest animal seizure in Pennsylvania history. Howard Nelson, director of the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania SPCA, which orchestrated the raid, said as many as 1,000 cats could ultimately be removed from Tiger Ranch, located in Tarentum, about 20 miles from Pittsburgh. "It's a death camp," said Nelson, speaking by cell phone as he helped gather emaciated and diseased cats crammed into trailers and other outbuildings across the 30-acre property.

Mayor Nutter beat a pack of contenders for the top City Hall job last year by vowing to clean up Philadelphia's pay-to-play political culture. But in his zeal to tidy up the town, Nutter also plans to clean up the city's sidewalks. In launching "the largest city cleanup Philadelphia has ever seen," Nutter on Monday sent an important message to residents: While City Hall needs to clean up its act, Philadelphians need to pitch in and pick up litter, clear trash-strewn vacant lots, and do their part to keep parks, plazas and other public spaces litter-free.

She stands about thigh-high to the city's leader, but Destiny Hill made her point just as emphatically: Let's clean up Philadelphia. "All year, my friends and I have been picking up trash with our after-school program," the first grader at the Henry C. Lea Elementary School in University City said as she introduced Mayor Nutter at a news conference yesterday in LOVE Park. Her braided hair set off by shiny gold clips, Destiny then went straight to the meat of her speech and drew cheers from the roughly 200 people assembled: "I have learned that there is trash to be picked up. Please help me and my friends clean our city.

Readers were recently asked: What type of community service do you plan to do in your community in the new year, and why is that important to you? Here are some of their answers: Walter Philippi Philadelphia This past summer, while walking my two dogs, I noticed numerous plastic bags blowing in the wind and litter in the area of Academy Road near Torrey Road. I decided to do something about the litter and picked up one of those bags and filled it with litter. Almost daily, I bring home a bag of litter and sort out recyclables before placing the bag in my weekly trash.

Summer used to be a bummer for art lovers stuck in the city. Gallery owners, taking their cues from collectors, closed up shop and headed out of town themselves (or should have, instead of putting up bland shows of inventory). But July is the new June. Or May, even. Fleisher/Ollman Gallery's current group show is a perfect example of the sensible approach galleries are now taking to the hottest of seasons - embracing, not ignoring or squandering, the month of July (too many galleries, including this one, still get away with "by appointment only" for August)