Andalusia Chamber of Commerce and the Covington County People Against a Littered State (PALS) have designated this week as spring clean up week.

Each year, the group provides trash bags for roadside litter collection, which are available at the local chamber.

It seems like such an easy thing to be for, just as litter is an easy thing to be against. Yet, a drive through the county shows the need to address this problem again and again.

Just as we clean up and spruce up our homes for visitors, we need to keep our larger home clean.

Literally thousands of people pass our way en route to our beautiful Gulf Coast. The impressions they have as they pass our way affect their decisions to stop for fuel, food or shopping.

We know that this week there are industrial prospects visiting our county. Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar said Monday he expected to show his city’s spec building to a Korean prospect. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of industrial site locators crossing locations off the list because the community didn’t look clean and neat.

In just more than a week, Opp will host thousands for the Rattlesnake Rodeo.

Later this year, there’ll be even bigger reasons to spruce up. In August, our county will play host to both the Babe Ruth 12U Softball World Series and the Alabama Kiwanis state convention.

The 12 softball teams who’ll compete here in August will come from the across eight geographic regions. Organizers expect to book 1,200 hotel rooms. Unlike the baseball World Series hosted here in 2007, this event requires that players stay in hotels rather than with host families.

Immediately following that event, about 400 Kiwanians will converge here for a long weekend.

Each of these events provide economic impact to our communities, but they can also provide long-term economic impacts if we look like a place you’d like to live or work.

Please plan now to do your part.