Ugliest town in the west can do better

I entered Electric City the other day through its southern portal, and was shocked.

I don’t know why; I had entered the city through its south end a hundred times before.

But this time the many eyesores along the entrance to the city stood out like sore thumbs.

There are a number of eyesores — all, I think, owned by individuals — that would shock anyone.

I wondered, are all these landowners from Kansas, and why had they all settled here?

Maybe the former city attorney had it right after all.

He painted a welcoming sign on the front of his building, saying “welcome to Electric City, the ugliest town in the west.” He painted it over after he was sure that everybody had seen it.

I don’t know about being number one, but the top 10, a sure bet.

And Electric City is a town – pardon me, a city – that depends on tourism, like all the other municipalities in the coulee.

It was one of these things that you drive by the uglies so often that you don’t even notice them. Well, this time I did.

For a community that depends on visitors, it is rather shocking that it turns its backside to them.

I drove a little more and turned on Western Avenue, and pulled over when I reached city hall.

I am more than familiar with it.

Inside, city fathers and mothers have really fixed up the place. A new council table was built, added new chairs, carpet, paint and air conditioning; you get the picture. Add some new furniture and computers, windows and doors and a new sign and paint outside.

That, along with water, sewer, garbage and police protection, is what we get for our tax dollars.

Doesn’t take a genius to figure how much attention the city pays for how it looks.

Time to take the paint-over off the city attorney’s “ugliest” sign.

When asked about the “eyesores” and why the city doesn’t have the guts to force people to clean up the properties, it’s always the same. It might cost some money.

The council might be satisfied to show its collective backside to its residents and visitors. But I think we can do better than that.