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There was a time when it would have been impossible to walk anywhere in Steubenville and not come across a sticker bearing a cartoon figure known as Mr. Pride.
Launched in the 1960s during the administration of the late Mayor Andrew Miller, Mr. Pride was a dashing figure -- he sported tails and striped pants; he had a big smile on his face and doffed his top hat to everyone he would meet. He was created as a symbol for a clean-up and fix-up campaign designed to help instill a sense of civic pride among community residents.
He served as a reminder that keeping the streets of your community clean, making the sidewalks welcoming for everyone and properly maintaining property were critical elements of improving the lives of all residents.
Much has changed in the 60 years since Mr. Pride first appeared and, sadly, not all of it has been for the better. There are neighborhoods in Steubenville that have been allowed to decay to the point that some members of City Council are worried their appearance will keep people and businesses from moving into the region.
That doesn't have to be the case, though, and members of council's Pride Committee are working to meet those challenges head on.
There are many reasons for the sad state of some neighborhoods. Absentee landlords are a big one, especially properties that are controlled by limited liability corporations, trusts and out-of-state owners. The most unscrupulous of them think that because they don't live in the community, there's no urgent need to maintain them.
Other owners might no longer be able to maintain their property because of age or illness, while some just ignore their responsibilities. Sadly, some owners have died, and there's no one to send a notice, or their heirs have chosen to ignore the property.
And while there are legal mechanisms available to bring those situations into compliance, they require lengthy and costly litigation, something that would drain city finances.
Litter is another issue -- the amount of trash that can be found on and along the streets in some neighborhoods is appalling -- but for that there can be an easier fix.
An example is planned for Tuesday, when a large-scale clean-up is scheduled in the LaBelle View neighborhoods. Third Ward Councilwoman Heather Hoover and members of the Pride Committee -- First Ward Councilman Dave Albaugh and Councilman at large Joel Walker -- are hoping there's a big turnout.
Scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in the vicinity of the Maryland Avenue water tower, the clean-up will cover a wide area. Volunteers Donald Spring and Patrick McLaughlin have organized the event. Also stepping up are members of the Steubenville Kiwanis Club, the Key Clubs at Steubenville and Catholic Central high schools and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. The city is providing two drivers and trucks to facilitate litter disposal, the JB Green Team is supplying a 40-yard trash receptacle and Interstate Waste said it would accept additional tonnage at no charge.
Area businesses have donated hot dogs and chips for the participants.
Hoover said during Tuesday's meeting of City Council that she hopes this will be the first of many such events held around the community in the coming months.
Mr. Pride might be long gone -- there was, however, an attempt to revive the program several years ago -- but his memory and legacy live on thanks to the efforts of the city's Pride Committee and events such as Tuesday's cleanup, which serves as a reminder that there are residents who are willing to come together and work to make their neighborhoods -- and our community -- a better place to live.