Positive Changes for Plattsburgh

Helping to unite the Plattsburgh community is an important goal because it promotes respect for all citizens within this community. There are numerous residents and businesses that have suffered from the acts of some SUNY Plattsburgh students. In recent years, these acts of destruction has help set a bad tone for the relationship of students and the local downtown community.

Residents of the downtown community have been reduced to protecting their homes and businesses in an aggressive fashion. During the months that the students are not in residence, we get enjoy a quiet and peaceful community. While students are in residence, we the community are driven to extremes. Businesses and residents have had to install security systems. The students break fences, destroy lawns, and steal private and public property. The community have to clean up broken glass, beer cans, and general refuse on a regular basis.

There has been a big initiative from the community the past few years to help bring more profitable business and more family events to the downtown area. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, there is garbage littering the streets that we are trying to bring business too. There are certain groups affiliated with SUNY that volunteer to clean up the garbage, however it is usually done on Sunday afternoons. At this point, community service has already come through to clean it up. The county and city is paying to clean up a mess they didn't create. Our community would not be facing these issues at such a volume if the SUNY Plattsburgh campus was not here.

However, the SUNY campus and students are just as much a part of this community as anyone else. The students should be working towards making the Plattsburgh a beautiful and healthy community as much as full time residents. It is time to bridge the gap that has been created between Plattsburgh residents and SUNY students.

It is the only way that we can all take advantage of our unique town. It is time to call out everyone and accept the responsibility of our actions. The Plattsburgh community, city leaders, Plattsburgh Police Department, and SUNY Plattsburgh all work together to find realistic solutions to this major problem in the downtown area.