What Is Wrong With City Fathers?

I moved to Alhambra to get away from gangs, graffiti, unkept lawns, loose dogs, drunks and dirty streets.

Now I’m seeing my street being taken over and going down the drain in a very rapid pace. In the last 10 years, in a half-block area, 12 homes have been knocked down to build condos or rentals. We have not had a clean street in all that time. Every day, trucks go up and down with dirt and materials. Hammering, electric saws, loud music, lunch trucks blow their horns at break and lunchtime, not once but three times every day.

Old apartments rent for high rents, so three and four families move into one unit, kids play in the street until late at night, shopping carts, loud music, cars race at all hours. Laundry hangs on fences and porches. Fights at night and graffiti, so gangs know that this street belongs to them. Schools overcrowded.

I saw my old neighborhood go down and now I’m seeing Alhambra going down even faster. What is wrong with our city fathers? Can’t they come out of their fancy homes and offices into the real world? Drive by the streets and see what is going on. I cry for Alhambra. It was a wonderful city, but not anymore. When I’m walking down my street and see about seven to 10 boys flipping a knife, you don’t know what they’re going to do. It really scares me!

JULIA CARRILLO

Alhambra