A lot has been said about "the power of one," and, on the other hand, a lot of people think what they do doesn't count or doesn't make a difference.

A friend, who lives in the country on Second Street, was scheduled to have company more than a year ago. As he was driving out of his place, he said to himself, "This roadside sure looks trashy." So, prior to the company arriving, he gathered up a trashbag and cleaned up the roadside from his house back to the Marmaton River bridge.

Since that time over a year ago, he continues his once-a-week ritual of trying to do his part in keeping the roadside looking nice. He says it takes about an hour a week, but for him it is time well spent.

With the advent of spring, he has noticed that more and more people must have their windows open and are tossing more litter on the roadside.

You have to ask the question, "Will his efforts eliminate littering?"

The answer is no, because it is too big a job for one person, but his efforts and dedication ought to be a wake-up call to the rest of us before we toss that cup out the window.

One thing we do know throughout history is that one person does make a difference.

Our hats are off to this unpaid volunteer and the many others like him throughout the community who take their time to clean up and fix up and leave what we have better than we found it.