- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

Bayview Public School has been closed for almost two years, but you wouldn't know it from a walk around the playground.

A recent visit to pick up trash around the building yielded children's mittens and adult gloves, hats, a ball and pieces of play equipment, along with the usual cups, water bottles, wrappers and cigarette butts.

A more concerning find was three used packages for alcohol swabs.

In less than an hour Saturday, by the back fence, I picked up more than 40 water bottles and McDonald's cups, and the usual cigarette packages, lighters and plastic, but also at least a dozen surgical gloves, condoms, half a dozen beer cans and cardboard cases from beer and hard iced tea.

A piece of missing fence was strung last week with two strips of “DANGER” tape, behind which appeared to be the motherlode of garbage. When I went back this week the tape was dangling, but I did not venture far in before I was walking on broken beer bottles. I wear boots and gloves and use a grabber tool, but I did not feel safe back there. When I saw the rubber tourniquet and used syringe, I called the Owen Sound police to do sharps removal. (It is gone as of noon today).

This week there were children's plastic pails, tennis balls and packaging, and used doggie do bags in the Bayview School yard. Several people walked or biked through while I was there. People are using the schoolyard, the play equipment, field and tarmac daily.

People are also using the back corner of the parking lot and the woods behind it, and there is the potential for children and animals to come across something dangerous.

The School board and the City have been notified, and the City Manager has confirmed that Public Works will look into it.