DEWITT, Mich. — Old and unwanted community newspapers are piling up in DeWitt and Bath Township, creating quite a nuisance, and an eyesore, for many homeowners.
After 10 years of picking up and throwing away soggy, muddy and frozen DeWitt Bath Review papers from his driveway every week, Daniel Black said he's over it.
"Somebody should have some common sense to stop throwing them in these yards that don't want it," said Black, a Bath resident. "I think it looks terrible. You drive down the streets. They're all over."
Black said he never subscribed to the paper, but the growing, deteriorating plastic and paper pile isn't just a problem in his driveway on Chandler Road.
FOX 47 News's Carla Bayron counted 11 old papers in the driveway of an empty lot on Chandler Road.
Mark Conover, distribution director with Gannett Publishing Services, told FOX 47 News that homeowners within the DeWitt and Bath Township School District get the paper.
Their independent contracted carriers are supposed to let them know when papers are piling up at an address so they can discontinue the delivery and update their system. People can also opt-out if they want to.
Although one person who posted in Bath Michigan's Current News & Events Community page on Facebook said that she did opt-out, but then service started back up again after a few months.
As far as the empty lot on Chandler Road, Conover didn't say why papers continue to be delivered there.
Conover also added that most of the community newspapers are delivered to driveways unless the resident has requested a different location. They do honor most special requests based on individual needs communicated through their customer service department.
Black said he has tried to figure out how to cancel the paper in the past with no luck, but was able to opt-out on Thursday when he called Conover.
"I don't want to come out and see another newspaper in my driveway. I don't," Black reiterated.
Whether Black gets his wish is yet to be determined.
To opt-out of the Dewitt Bath Review, Conover said to call their customer service department at 800-234-1719 or email communitynews@lsj.com. Opt-out information is published inside the newspaper each week at the top left corner of Page 2.
