Two pieces of news in recent days highlight both a problem and a way to fix it.

First, News staff writer Steve Schulwitz told us last week about an uptick in vandalism and littering at North Partridge Point Park.

Then, in Monday’s edition, Lifestyles Editor Darby Hinkley told us 75 volunteers had collectively picked up 14,229 pieces of trash around Alpena on Saturday as part of a Great Lakes Great Responsibility initiative celebrating Earth Day, which happened Thursday.

It saddened us to read about Northeast Michiganders treating a local park so disrespectfully, but cheered us to read about such dedication from Northeast Michiganders willing to pick up after the disrespectful ones.

We should all aspire to live on a daily basis less like those scoundrels dirtying the park near Squaw Bay and more like those admirable residents who cleaned up our community over the weekend.

In short, we should act like Earth Day happens every day.

Our actions affect more than us. Every piece of trash we toss out a window or let loose on the beach makes the area less attractive for each and every one of our neighbors and, especially as we hug the shores of Lake Huron, can impact the environment affecting all of Michigan and every other Great Lakes state.

We should each consider our responsibility to not only not litter ourselves, but to clean up litter as we see it each day while we’re out and about.

And we should take that responsibility seriously.