By adamg on Sat., 11/1/2025 - 11:14 am

From the complaint.

A concerned citizen turns a 311 complaint about godawful sidewalks on Valentine Street in Roxbury into a parable for our times:

Dear City,

A few days ago, I was walking with a 10-year-old from our neighborhood along Valentine Street, and we were occasionally forced to walk on a busy street as parts of the sidewalk had turned into small lakes. He suddenly asked why sidewalks were in such bad shape. I had no answer because the truth is, we’ve asked the city again and again to fix them, not for months but for years. He must have sensed the helplessness on my face. With a sweet yet commanding tone, he said, “The mayor should fix these sidewalks, make the houses beautiful like yours, and make housing affordable.” He repeated it a few times, as if he truly believed someone would listen if he said it enough. When we came towards the end of Valentine Street, he saw the broken stretch with the wooden bollards standing awkwardly in the middle of crumbled sidewalk. He grew worried and said “In the dark, someone could fall, they could trip on these and step into the street. This is dangerous for people !”. Subsequently, with the same gentle insistence, he concluded again; ‘The major should fix this sidewalk. It is dangerous for the residents and it is a safety concern. And make the houses beautiful’. Next time we walk, if he asks me why nothing has been fixed yet, I honestly don’t know what I’ll say. Because children shouldn’t have to learn helplessness from their city.

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