Downing Student Regional Essay Winner
A student at Lylburn Downing Middle School was among the winners of the Virginia Municipal League’s annual “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
Foster Pickett, a seventhgrader at Lylburn Downing, was named the Region 3 winner for his entry, in which he listed improvements to the city’s sidewalks, streets and parking as his priority if he were given the authority of mayor of Lexington for a day.
The winners were announced in April, and Pickett was presented with a certificate honoring his win at the Lexington City Council meeting on May 15 by Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman and Mitchell Smiley with the Virginia Municipal League.
Of this year’s winners, VML President and Mayor of the town of Ashland Steve Trivett said: “All did a good job of seeking citizen or public article input and suggested solutions with multiple targets across multiple actions of implementation. I think they will be great mayors one day!”
The Virginia Municipal League is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of local governments established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education, and other services. - The following is Foster Pickett’s full essay: “How much effort does it take you to get to work or to school? How about getting to your home or to a friend’s house? How long does it take you to get coffee from Pronto? Well, for a lot of people in Lexington it takes so much more effort than is necessary. Why? Because the roads and sidewalks downtown are so old that they no longer work for modern life. But with a few small adjustments, the sidewalks and roads in downtown Lexington could be so much more navigable. As your mayor, I propose limiting parking to one side of the streets downtown and moving potted plants and signs from the sidewalks to above the buildings and out of the way.
“Our roads are too narrow for today’s big cars. I ride down Washington Street almost every day, and I see drivers that look stuck at the corner near Sweet Things. When large trucks and SUVs are parked on both sides of the road, it can be difficult for two cars to pass each other. Drivers have only two choices: scratching the car on their left or scratching the car on their right. This problem could be solved very easily. The city should allow parking only on one side of the road.
“However, the problem is not only with the roads. The sidewalks are not big enough either. They are not wide enough for two people to walk next to each other. Anyone who walks on Washington Street or Main Street notices that the sidewalks are narrow and blocked by numerous obstacles. We have potted plants, street signs, commercial signs, lamp poles, and stairs in the way. This problem can also be solved easily. The city should move the potted plants where they won’t be in the way and hang the signs and lamps above the sidewalk.
“The problems with our sidewalks are even worse for people in wheelchairs. There are other problems, too. We could do more for people in wheelchairs, such as curb cuts that help them cross the street from one sidewalk to another. For some people, better sidewalks are the difference between being stuck at home or being able to do what everyone else can.
“When asked about limiting parking to only one side of the road, and moving obstacles in sidewalks to above the buildings, a Lexington city resident said, ‘Changes to our city sidewalks are long overdue! I think a proposal to limit street parking is a great start. Furthermore, opening the sidewalks by moving signs, and decorative plants seems a great way to encourage visitors to explore downtown Lexington businesses.’
“With some community help, these changes would be very easy to implement would increase the walkability and drivability of Lexington. As mayor of Lexington, I respectfully ask the city council to take action now.”
