It’s a festival weekend in Bradford, starting today with
Summerfest, and Bradford City Councilman Bob Onuffer is asking city
residents to make Bradford shine for the occasion.

“There’s many people coming in from out of town this weekend,”
Onuffer said Wednesday. The 2006 Zippo/Case International Swap Meet
is set for this weekend, too. “We should be trying to make this
place look nicer for the people.”

Mow lawns, clean up yards, clean up dog waste and show community
pride.

“Take the time to look at your street,” Onuffer said, suggesting
residents look at lawns that haven’t been mowed and see why.
Perhaps there is someone who could use some help, and if so,
volunteer. There is a city ordinance, 77-1, mandating lawns should
be no more than eight-inches high for health reasons – such as
environmental allergens.

“If you don’t know who owns the house and nobody’s around and
you just want to cut the front,” he said, but added that people
should not enter a lawn posted against trespassing or where they
know the owner doesn’t want people. In those cases, report it to
the code enforcement department.

“If somebody’s driving through town who owns a major business,
they drive through the residential areas,” Onuffer said, reminding
residents that keeping the city presentable benefits everyone.

And that includes following the laws for when to put out
garbage, he added. “It should not be placed out before 5 p.m. the
night before the garbage collection date,” he said, reading from
the ordinance 184-3.

When residents put trash out in the morning of the day before
garbage day, animals get in it or it begins to smell badly – right
on the curb of a city street. “I would recommend as refuse director
to wait until the sun goes down,” Onuffer said.

Speaking of smelling badly, there’s another duty that some city
residents have been neglecting – their dog’s doodie. And that is a
violation of city ordinance 70-23, Onuffer said.

“Someone else should not have to clean up your dog’s manure,” he
said, shaking his head. “I just want the place to look nice when
people come to town. Have a little bit of pride.”

City ordinances can be found on the Internet through the city’s
Web site by accessing the section of Bradford City Code.