To the editor:

On one day in September of this year, I received two bagged newspapers in my driveway. One was the Providence Journal and another was called "A La Carte" and, as it turns out, was thrown into my yard by the same ProJo carrier.

I looked at the publication and it appeared to be 99 percent, if not 100 percent, advertising. In walking my neighborhood that day I noticed everyone had this paper in their yard or in front of their house including houses that were unoccupied. A week later, the paper arrived again, joining many of the ones already lying there from the previous week in the streets and lawns of Portsmouth.

Simply put, I view this as littering and have reported it as such to the Portsmouth Police Department. They have been told that ProJo views this as their First Amendment right, but acknowledge that any individual can simply cancel their (unsolicited) "subscription" by calling.

Although I called immediately to cancel this newspaper (?), it still arrives every week. I actually have to wait for my Sunday paper to arrive, but this one has always been on time. I still hold out hope that my unwanted subscription will someday stop.

So, my advice: You can call ProJo at 401/277-7600 to “opt out" or you can go right to the man in charge of this publication, Jim Lucas, at 401/277-7753. You can even ask him to pick up the copies still lying out on your street, unless of course they have turned to mush with the wind and rain.

If you like "A La Carte,” feel free to tell him or if you view this as wasteful littering, please tell him that. I actually told him that I found one good use for the paper and that was to use the bag for picking up after my dog. But, since I already subscribe to the Journal (as well as to the Newport Daily News), I already have a steady supply of dog poop bags.

Although the Portsmouth Times has to be picked up locally and does not come with a bag, I enjoy the option of taking it or leaving it and I must say that of the three papers, I enjoy reading The Times the best.

David M. Gleason

63 Massasoit Ave.

Portsmouth