To the Editor,

It was decided to take a little ride to Conimicut last night to check out the kite surfers.

Shock.

Once again, who is minding the store…landscaping?

Towering trunks of evergreens/pines? which might have graced the park years ago are now DEAD!  How could the city overlook this horror, instead of greeting folks to this gorgeous location, they see dead trees!

Years ago I wrote about the weed filled circulators welcoming? drivers to Warwick.  After a bit of time some action was taken, but was useless since the areas are again a mess.

Last week I went to the Warwick City Hall annex? to pay my taxes.  Again, I was disgusted that this very used and simple entrance was weed filled!  Doesn’t anyone notice, the hundreds of people walking in and out, not to mention the workers?  I was ready to bend down and pull some weeds, my civic duty?

I have written City Hall, the mayor’s office several times in the past.  Usually there is no acknowledgement.  I actually had a contact with someone who said they would get back to me which never happened.  As a person who sort of knows plants I offered to assist in solving this ugly problem, but nothing.

Along with others I have been impressed by Mayor Picozzi’s ‘get it done’ ethic, for example climbing ladders himself to take care of basic maintenance issues.  Yet along with other city workers, is he blind to the mess of so called landscaping?

In the case of the circulators and roadside plantings, just pave them over, a basic solution since clearly plant maintenance is an impossibility.

As for Conimicut, what a sorry sight.  One of the few beautiful lighthouses within easy view  for everyone is disgraced by the parking areas leading to it. Pitiful.

Typically I don’t drive around and monitor the many city parks but hope that someone is caring for them, doubtful if Conimicut is an example!

Warwick’s history and topography are  special and unique.  Instead of doing simple things like basic maintenance,  the many public areas are a disaster.  If landscaping is not a priority, the least the city could do is keep the areas clean and neat, this should not be an afterthought but a priority.

The entrance to Warwick Neck is an example of what should welcome drivers, well planned and maintained landscaping!  Granted it is small area, but illustrates caring and pride.

Warwick is supposedly a Tree City USA, a national designation for communities that love and appreciate  its  civic landscaping, a local example, Bristol.    This title and related  signs should be removed, Warwick’s trees are dead!

To end,  does the city of Warwick care about nature and aesthetics?

Carol Lukowski

Gaspee