Across the Fence

January 15, 1981

 

By Arvord Abernethy

 

Have you noticed what a great improvement they have done on the curbs on the north side of City Hall? Remember the high sidewalk curb that was so high only a lean, tall Texan could step up on it? If you drove up close to the curb, your wife couldn’t get the car door open so she could go pay the city bills, and you were afraid to get out on your side for fear a big truck would either tear your car door off or run over you. That has all been fixed.

 

The city has run a slab of steel reinforced concrete that extends from the level of the old sidewalk right out into the street several feet. This slab is supported by steel, allowing plenty of space for adequate draining for rain runoff.

 

A six inch high sidewalk that is about four feet wide was then poured along the north side of the building. This makes a curb to make the edge of the parking space. The Highway Department poured asphalt in the street to level up the street and the new slab, so now when anyone has some business at City Hall, they can drive right up on the old sidewalk and be safely out of the traffic.

 

The new sidewalk part is sloped at each end so people in wheelchairs, crutches, etc. can get on the sidewalk. Plans are in the making for such people to be able to enter the building through the middle door on the north side to tend to their city business. The east door on the north side admits you to the Police Department.

 

Go by someday and look at what has been done and see if you don’t think that it is a great improvement.

 

Thank you, City Dads.

 

 

 

For that let-down feeling that comes after Christmas celebrating along with those greetings from Uncle Sam’s Internal Revenue Service, there is nothing that can get those springs of hope flowing again like receiving a beautiful, colored seed catalog. It can do more for you than a round of calomel or taking a whole bottle of Geritol. We received one this week and it is already April around our house. They don’t mention how the vegetables, flowers and shrubs will look after several days of 110 degree plus weather, or after an invasion of aphids, spider-mites or squash bugs, but who wants to think about that now?

 

We don’t have much space for a garden, but I do enjoy fooling with plants and vegetables. As my grandmother would say, “I just like to putter around”.

 

After that hot, dry summer, we had some late tomato plants that came out after the fall rains started and they put on some late tomatoes. To see what they would do, I covered them up on freezing nights and they were not killed until about Christmas time. I pulled the tomatoes off them, and we have been eating fresh tomatoes through the holidays.

 

We also have a petunia in a pot that is loaded with blossoms. I have had to set it in the garage out of the cold about three times. Petunias can stand some pretty cool weather. Maybe that is why so many of them are used in the Morman Temple Square at Salt Lake City . The beauty of the flower gardens there is almost beyond description.

 

Hamilton is noted for its well-kept homes and lawns may this be a good year at your house as we try to keep Hamilton that way.