Resident upset over illegal neighborhood dumping

Ihave been a resident of Brick Township for 10 years. My husband and I purchased a lovely home in a nice neighborhood off of Jack Martin Boulevard. We are the last house on one of many dead-end streets in the development. We were thrilled at the prospect of such a safe environment for our two young children.

However, over the past several years our dead end street has become less and less appealing. Every year we sit on our porch during spring cleanup season and watch several of our very own neighbors make countless trips down the block to dump their grass clippings, dead bushes, plants etc. right alongside several homes. Not to mention the personal dog pen this area has become for some.

I wish to be very clear; I do not own the empty property at the end of our street. According to Brick Township, no one owns the property. However, it is still illegal to dump. No one owns the Atlantic Ocean, yet you would never dump your old Christmas tree in it. It is also illegal to let you dog "go" wherever it wished and not clean up. There are thousands of Brick residents every day who dispose of the same items legally. We have dumps and recycling areas designed to protect the health and safety of our children. A neighborhood compost pile and rotting dog feces is not a sign of summer.

How can we teach our children to be environmentally friendly, celebrate Earth Day and save the planet when we can't even stop illegal dumping in our own neighborhoods? Several neighbors have alerted Brick officials of the problem, and they have come to assess the situation. I ask you, is it necessary? Just do the right thing, if not for us, for our children.
Dawn M. Brunotte
Brick