Being a "good ole boy" of Watertown and Northern New York for over three-quarters of a century, I follow with great interest the development, changes and sometimes supposed improvements to our area. Over many years the most often attempted changes have centered on Public Square because of the many changes to improve its use. I can recall at least five times in my lifetime when attempted improvements have not only met with failure, but tended to create more problems than they ever solved.

There have been many structural changes, alterations to the infrastructure, adjustments to communication and utility services, numerous attempts at changing traffic patterns, physical landscaping and beautifying the central part of the Square with some improvement. Then someone came up with the idea of constructing permanent curbing in all the traffic lanes, which helped but still did not solve the complete problems. Now with the complete makeover presently going on on the Square along with wonderful and beautiful improvements to State Street all the way up to Eastern Boulevard, great strides are being made which will certainly serve a great deal of good.

With the new permanent curbings placed throughout the downtown area, it will certainly look "cute," but I wonder what the parking problems will be when the project is complete. The contractors have certainly done a marvelous job of doing the work with a lot of imagination and surprisingly little inconvenience to the public considering the magnitude of the project.

Yes, they have probably solved some problems yet unforeseen, but I just wonder what will happen this winter when the snow falls. Those new indentations and curvings along the perimeters, as well as some newly created curbed islands and the curbed area in the traffic patterns, seem to be creations of nightmares to those great guys driving those big snowplows removing the snow in that myriad of traffic lanes. It could result in creating some new jobs by having crews of men wielding snow shovels, Bobcats and snowblowers to get into those oddly configured areas. It is going to be a most interesting experience to watch and see what is going to happen.

Arthur C. Mecomonaco

Watertown