Dear Editor,
Instead of working on a Thanksgiving meal, I am beset with reading about Big Blue when actually two related things are also causing just as much problem for downtown Warren.
Parking is a BIG Cash Cow for the downtown area of any municipality but the problem as related to 1) Big Blue, 2) the change in the parking lot between 2nd & 3rd, and 3) the change in parking downtown from Market-Second & Pennsylvania to Hickory has been groaned over for a time.
Big Blue was hated long before it came to fruition. There were some x-rated remarks and it was pronounced as mainly for the retailers/persons who worked downtown (like NWSB, PNCB, NCB etc.) NOT the little ole' couple from Sugar Grove, Youngsville or The hills of Scandia. NADA!
Well somebody(ies) were not paying attention to what was being done during the original building and/or the "fix-up".
DON'T TEAR DOWN BIG BLUE! We already have one mess across the street - we don't need 2 as people will NEVER come to Warren & many of our downtown is hurting. WHY? People would rather shop at the Mall or Commons (except there are no medical or professional offices there).
I don't know what the answer is, but please Warren Fathers'/Mamas' think before another mistake is made. One error piled onto another just presents a dangerous mountain of rubble. Fix Big Blue and force the original/re-fixer eat the cost of doing it right as she should have the FIRST TIME! Then do something to make it a viable parking area for Warren and its customers (i.e. County residents).
As to the parking lot between 2nd & 3rd- change the voices of those "things" so they don't sound like a military marksman ready to blow you apart!! Don't just give us weekends free, but between 9am-5pm when the other businesses are open including lawyers, dentist, post office and commodity stores. People don't stay long after dark except on weekends when SL Theater is open. As to parking in general - You have quashed that. It cannot be fixed.
As to the monies available or being expended by the different groups - start tightening up those belts. I would LOVE to see the payouts (earnings) of all persons who work for the county and their bonuses and their budgets. THAT's what interests the people of Warren who believe in nothing. Give them someone to believe in. (Oh wait - we have ONE - His Name is GOD.) But this is a human made problem - and humans need to fix it. As a sexagenarian, I miss the ol'Warren.
I write this with all friendless of being a long timer of Warren (no matter where else I amy have been).
Kathleen-Ann Mahaffy
Warren