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A few months back, I read an article in Reader’s Digest about the cleanest cities in America in which the writers compared data on 50 of the most populous metropolitan areas. They came up with a ranking of America’s cleanest cities.

The magazine also ranked the dirtiest cities. Because the rankings included only the largest cities, Baton Rouge was not identified in either category, and I didn’t give it much thought after that. But a letter I received recently about litter and the look of our city coupled with my recent travels to cities in Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee (which were very clean) got me thinking about the cleanliness of our city.

Our offices are downtown, and I was walking to lunch recently and began to notice all the cigarette butts and trash along the streets and sidewalks. For a week, I intentionally began to pay attention to our cleanliness—or lack thereof—when I drove around town. I saw high grass on lots of medians and the ugly appearance of many public places.

It’s time to clean up the city. It’s time to intensify our efforts to inform and motivate the people and businesses of Baton Rouge to make conscious and positive efforts that enrich the appearance and condition of the city’s neighborhoods, streets and business districts like downtown.

Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful recently received a community grant and will be placing attractive trash receptacles in key areas of downtown for smokers to deposit cigarette butts instead of flicking them on the ground. We need more efforts like this to remove graffiti and clean up and maintain public property, all of which can promote a healthy and clean community.

I know some efforts are being made. But to make Baton Rouge a clean city, the mayor, Department of Public Works, merchant associations and all residents have to do more than we’re doing. A clean and beautiful city depends on the pride of residents, businesses, property owners and kids. It also makes good business sense and results in a healthy economy. Clean and beautiful cities attract highly skilled workers and investment, which helps everyone.

Next time you see someone litter, tap them on the shoulder and tell them, “Our streets are not your garbage can.”

Celebrating Baton Rouge in September

September doesn’t just officially kickoff the football season this year, but it is going to be an unusual month for Baton Rouge.

First, one of the grandest downtown landmarks of them all has come back to life.

The Capitol House Hotel is now the downtown Hilton, renovated and refurbished back to the grandeur that attracted the likes of Huey P. Long and other wealthy and powerful people who made it a vibrant hangout for decades.

It took a $60 million investment and a commitment from public and private interests to make it happen.

Later in the month, All the King’s Men will premier. The big budget movie ($60 million) features Sean Penn as Willie Stark, a character based on Long. Kate Winslet, Jude Law, James Gandolfini and Anthony Hopkins round out the cast. The film will show on screens the world over, putting Baton Rouge and its political heyday in the spotlight.

Our cover story gathers some of those memories, plus some new ones as we tell about Baton Rouge’s new role as a movie setting.

Road trip fun

If you’re planning to make any of LSU’s road trips this year, then you’ll want to check out 225’s road trip guide. We’ve put together a recommended list of good places to eat, great places to visit and tailgating fun in the four Southeastern Conference cities LSU will visit this season: Auburn, Ala., Gainesville, Fla., Knoxville, Tenn., and Little Rock, Ark. Check out the first of two installments on page 26.

Giving something back

City Year is a volunteer program that places talented, intelligent, motivated young people in communities where kids desperately need a boost. It’s a national program that this year has found its way to Louisiana and is making a real difference in young lives.

City Year officials realized Louisiana needed help after Hurricane Katrina. One of the organization’s founders is Baton Rouge’s Jennifer Eplett Reilly. So City Year mobilized its corps members to descend on south Louisiana. They’ve lived and worked in our communities for more than a year now. Check out their story on page 39.