Nothing can stop a fun day of playing in the sandbox faster than finding a used cigarette butt or some other form of refuse mixed in with your kid’s toys.

click to enlarge Good, clean fun
PHOTO COURTESY OF CI.SANTA-MARIA.CA.US
TIME TO PLAY! : The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department recently started a poster contest for local youth to illustrate the importance of keeping city parks and playgrounds (like Minami Park, pictured here) clean.

That’s why the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department needs locals’ help in keeping city parks clean and playgrounds free from second-hand smoke.

Picking up trash, following state law by keeping tobacco products at least 25 feet away from playgrounds, and not throwing cigarette butts on the ground or in the gutters are just a few ways to make a difference.

To help spread the word for “Clean and Clear” playgrounds, the city is holding a poster contest through select After School Education and Safety School program sites. A blank poster is available online at ci.santa-maria.ca.us/209.shtml for all students in the community who want to participate.

Students can illustrate how second-hand smoke and trash in city parks impacts residents, as well as ways to keep parks clean and fun for everyone. Contest winners will have their posters printed and displayed at local government offices and facilities, and they’ll also be entered in a drawing to win an array of prizes.

For more information about Clean and Clear City Parks, contact the Recreation and Parks Department at 925-0951, Ext. 260. 

Managing Editor Amy Asman wrote this week’s Community Corner. Send information to the Sun via mail, e-mail, or fax.

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