Veterans Park the Day After: Community Members Say "Stop Littering!"

The annual fireworks display brings out the crowds in the thousands; people even camp out to get a good spot. But it also brings out another problem:  lots of trash. 

"It was very junky so we had to clean our area. Lots of cups paper towels, a couple shoes we found! said Commetic Mueller. 

Mueller says her family has been coming down to the  park to celebrate the 4th for decades and she's no longer surprised by what she sees. 
"We always have to clean the area and that's why we come early," she said. 

Thousands of people staking out for days before the fireworks means piles of trash.

"We don't know how to solve this problem. You can put more trash cans down, but some people are just clueless and just leave it there and go home, " said China Chambers.

 
And it also brings out some not-so-nice behavior, which is why Mueller stays away.  

"It makes people mad because when they come down here they think oh you shouldn't save a spot and that causes a lot of fights and that's why I don't come down here," she said. 

While the city works to clean, people we talked to say it starts with you. 

"When my family gets together we try to clean up behind ourselves and extra. See a bottle in the street, or open containers put them in the trash!" said Monica Williams.  

"Leave the park exactly how it was when you got here. If it was clean when you got here, when you leave it should be clean. There's no reason at all," said Shundal Tillman. 

We reached out to the County Parks for comment and did not hear back.