Making Downey beautiful

Dear Editor:I used to see signs on some city streets that read "Keep Downey Beautiful." I think that's a fine idea; it brings to mind the old saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I haven't noticed any of those signs lately, probably because I'm too busy trying to avoid all the potholes on the streets I drive on. Before something can be kept beautiful, it must be made beautiful. I've only lived in Downey 31 years, and haven't seen all the city, but I have seen a number of beautiful homes and very attractive neighborhoods. Then there are others. Once such is the intersection of Tweedy Lane and Telegraph Road, where ABF Trucking Company has an employee parking lot. Between the entrance to the parking lot and the next street to the southwest of Tweedy Lane, which is Birchcrest Road, there is an area perhaps 100 feet long that has no curb and apparently never has had one. The pavement is about 10 feet narrower than the rest of Tweedy Lane, and has a drop-off from 2-6 inches from the pavement to the dirt. If the city was to make this section look like the rest of Tweedy, it would be a big improvement. In the process someone might notice the deplorable condition of Tweedy between Telegraph and the 5 Freeway, and at least patch the potholes and maybe even seal the man-holes to keep the sewer gases from escaping. Doing this certainly wouldn't make Downey beautiful, but it would definitely improve the looks of that ugly mess. It might also make a difference in the "rebranding of Downey," whatever that means. Then again, I don't expect to see any changes to the above mentioned area. After all, this is way up in Northwest Downey, and far from where the more important people live. - Jim Lucas, Downey

********** Published: July 29, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 15