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Letters | LET'S GET TO WORK & CLEAN UP THE CITY

WEEKS BEFORE New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's words stung the city's conscience about the visual condition of our communities, I was hired to re-establish Philadelphia's anti-litter champion, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, the culmination of a year of effort by the Keep Philadelphia Beautiful board members.

WEEKS BEFORE New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's words stung the city's conscience about the visual condition of our communities, I was hired to re-establish Philadelphia's anti-litter champion, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, the culmination of a year of effort by the Keep Philadelphia Beautiful board members.

The reaction of Philadelphians to the cutting words of Mayor Nagin has given me great hope. In essence, what I have heard and read can be characterized as a decidedly enthusiastic charge to address the litter and decay issues that communities face.

I am also encouraged by the degree of support communicated for those taking care of the city's physical environment. Many of these are everyday citizens who show pride in their community by volunteering to clean and beautify their surroundings.

The block captains, civic groups, church members, the greening community, business associations and volunteers by the thousands assist the city government in two momentous tasks: maintaining the beauty of Philadelphia possess, and cultivating and increasing the aesthetic value gained from their efforts.

Keep Philadelphia Beautiful is the local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit public education organization dedicated since 1953 to engaging individuals in taking greater responsibility for improving their local environments.

Know that we are here to support you and invite you to attend a citywide anti-litter rally on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Love Park . We hope that as many people as possible will attend and show their support for the city we love.

Phoebe R. Coles

Executive Director

Keep Philadelphia Beautiful

Gesu School worthy of praise

I commend columnist Elmer Smith for his insightful report the other day on the Gesu School.

It's about time that much-maligned institutions like the Philadelphia schools and the Catholic Church finally got some well deserved praise.

Both institutions are made up of intelligent, hard-working and dedicated professionals who make tremendous sacrifices every day in order to help young people in our city.

Gesu School provides a fine example of the type of success that awaits our children when these dilligent role models are looked upon as such by community members, parents, and especially the studetns themselves.

Dan Mallon, Langhorne