My First Editorial - And Not My Last

Editorial:

Nothing is more historic than downtown Somersworth, its buildings, its mill, and its hill area, so why does it look so bad?

I'm not talking about the buildings or homes, I'm talking about the roads, sidewalks, and esthetic features that exist within the Historic District.

The fact is High St is deplorable, the year after year practice of temporary patching has only made matters worse, and still no word on when this situation will be addressed.

I love it when I hear certain city officials say we need to attract business to the downtown, yet they do nothing to make the downtown attractive. Take a drive through our neighboring cities, who still has the old rusty street lights we still have? None of them. Are new lights in the Capital Improvement Plan? No.

Take a drive through the downtown's of our neighboring cities, who has a street that is the entrance into there city that is as deplorable as High St in Somersworth? None of them. Where's this on the Capital Improvement Plan?

This is my favorite, who anywhere actually believes that instead of using granite curbs we'll just use asphalt to make one is a good idea?

We ask a lot of those that live in the Historic District, sometimes things that are costly but must be done, yet the city itself poorly maintains what we have asked them to care for.

Recently we elected a new Mayor, and a few new council members, all promise to improve the downtown, talk can be cheap.

Year after year the business and downtown community has asked for a new road, so lets build a fire station.