To the Editor,

Driving home to Knightsville this past week I was shocked to see the dismantling of the gazebo across from the feast society – callously ripped apart with pieces strewn about Cranston Street. Not only was I sad to see this iconic structure that beckoned memories of Christmas tree lightings and summer feast cookouts be destroyed, but I also wondered how many hundreds of rats were burrowed under there that will now be visiting mine and my neighbors trash cans for sustenance. This year, we planted 10 tomato plants and other vegetables in our garden and blocked off the section as best we could to keep wildlife out. Rats chewed away at the foundations of the plants and soon all of them had fallen down.  When I walk on the bike path in the mornings, you can actually hear legions of rats running through the bushes besides you. It is disgusting and sad to see such a beautiful and fun city have such a bad infestation and poor response. For the record, we’ve made over 50 calls to City Hall as early as three years ago and have only received one call back and only one visit to the house to switch out the bait in a rat trap that I could have done three times over by going to Lowes. It’s nice to see the city trying to improve itself but, before you revitalize anything else, rid us of these rats.

Vexed by Vermin

Dan Carrara

Cranston