[RP TownTalk] Danielle

[OurDollMom at aol.com]

I have to agree with Danielle regarding the
looks of our town & area along the 
highways.  
 
My customers over the years have 
commented on the vacant buildings & have
said many times - if you want to draw 
business & tenants to the Town Center 
you have to clean up the town & highways -
they have said Riverdale has so much
potential BUT nothing is going to advance
if we do not clean up and make the place
look great - keeping grass cut, trees 
trimmed, planting lots of flowers & 
small evergreen winter time plants to 
keep the gardens up and watering them
regularly, fixing the sidewalks, curbs, fixing the
concrete waterway down 410, would be a
great start.
 
I think giving tax breaks to homeowners &
landlords to keep up the properties, tax 
breaks for landscaping some & keeping it 
up - is an excellent idea.  I have been to 
Germany at least 3 times, that countryside
is soooo clean & beautiful.  All the little towns
are clean (buldings, houses, yards, roads etc)
because they get special tax breaks for keeping
properties up, making repairs immediately, 
keeping all their flowers, yard gardens, window
boxes, lamp posts etc with regularly watered
flowering plants.  You can tell they take PRIDE
in their towns.  It is such a pleasure to visit
Germany.
 
We are a town right outside our Nations Capitol
and we are a town of wonderful HISTORY.  We
should be valuing this and making it priority.  
When potential businesses see how beautiful we
keep our town, they will come here to fill our 
buildings.  Outsiders do not want to see a town
arguing about whether or not to put money into
ourselves, money into showing our history etc.
They want to see/know we are serious & will 
follow thru & keep this town & our whole area 
cleaned up all the time & beautiful.
 
Over the years I have had my shop in our Town
Center - if I could have had a tape recorder so 
you could hear what my customers from all 
around the beltway say about our Town Center
& town - It has ambiance (sp), history, cute, 
quaint, parking, BUT when they approach us we
look depressed - not inviting - etc.  
 
Outsiders say we have great potential which makes
me feel proud BUT then they say their comments
and I have to agree.  I have lived here 40 plus yrs
& NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE OUR 
WAY OF LOOKING AT OUR AREA & DO THE 
WORK THAT WILL MAKE US STAND OUT IN
A POSITIVE WAY.  Spend the money & clean
up. Stop hasseling.  Maybe if we clean up - we
could find some volunteers to become dedicated
& help and work together with the paid help.
 
Emily



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