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Editor's Corner

By David Richards

(Updated: Friday, April 18, 2008, 9:01 PM)

A few years ago we addressed a major problem in downtown Oakhurst.

It's an eyesore equivalent to any car-littered yard and to any dumpster surrounded by tattered sofas and worn-down appliances.

It's our lovely vacant lot at the corner of highways 41 and 49 in Oakhurst.

A few years ago, the issue was a couple of homemade signs advertising weekend events or rummage sales. As of recently, the situation has become more sophisticated.

On Wednesday morning, the fence that borders the lot was covered with roughly a dozen professionally made signs.

We don't care if the signs are made out of diamonds, they don't belong there and need to come down.

Number one, it looks tacky. With tourist season just around the corner, we don't want that eyesore to be the first thing our visitors see.

Number two, it's illegal.

Administrative citations start at $250 for each offense, although county code enforcers start with a courtesy notice or a phone call when responding to a complaint.

"That's what we want, is compliance," said Eric Yancy, county code enforcement officer.

But before Yancy can act, complaints have to be issued.

"We have had one anonymous complaint, and we do not take anonymous complaints," Yancy said, when asked about the lot.

So apparently, it seems like Oakhurst and its surrounding communities are OK with our banner garden.

Number three, it's not our property. We wouldn't want our neighbors littering our properties with signs and banners advertising their events, so why is it OK for us to do it to a vacant lot right in the middle of town?

Something needs to be done and it starts with us, the people who live here.

Please don't put your banners and signs on this fence. It takes away from Oakhurst for both the residents and the visitors.

If it keeps up and it bothers you, call and complain to Madera County Code Enforcement at (559) 675-7821.

Otherwise, why don't we just encourage sofas, abandoned cars and appliances to be dumped there as well.

The issues above are discussed and chosen by the Sierra Star editorial board, made up of Betty E. Linn, publisher, and David Richards, editor.