By MICHELE PAGE
The Daily World

District 2 Phillips County Justice of the Peace Edward Carter says he has received numerous phone calls from his constituents complaining about the state of their community.  Carter’s district is mainly in the Helena area and after taking the calls, Carter and his friend, Roma Lee, decided to take the task head-on themselves by cutting grass in various areas in the city.
Tuesday, the pair worked York St. edging the high grass around fire hydrants, light poles and stop signs.
“Basically we are giving the city a trim,” said Carter.
Carter says that the city of Helena-West Helena can bill the owners of vacant properties and take care of the matter themselves.  Carter and Lee say that is not happening, so they will do what they can to help local citizens.
“The city’s not doing it, so we are,” said Carter.
Grass is high in several prominent areas in Helena and Lee says that when the summer heat beats down snakes seek cooler areas.  Some citizens have reported snakes in their homes and Carter and Lee say that if the grass were maintained, the snakes would not be a bother to citizens.
“The snakes are on the move,” said Lee.
Both men say that Helena is not in the best of shape citing small saplings in alley ways, high weeds and grass on street corners and vacant lots overgrown, some with waist-high grass.
“It seems to me that they are focusing more on West Helena than Helena,” said Carter.
The project is not funded by taxpayer money and Lee and Carter are working on their own time and gas.
The volunteers say that they plan to continue their grass war throughout the week, trying to shape up Helena although both admitted that they don’t have the equipment to give the east side of the city the full attention it needs.