David Leifker - Town Cl. Pl. LDAVID W. LEIFKER LAW OFFICES
IOWA OFFICE
DUBUQUE BUILDING
700 LOCUST ST STE 701
DUBUQUE; IOWA 52001-6824
TELEPHONE (319) 557-1354
FAX (319) 557-5086
March 21, 2001
WISCONSIN OFFICE
EAGLES BLUFF
1000 WHISPERING lANE
HAZEL GREEN, WISCONSIN 53811
TELEPHONE (608) 748~4740
Telegraph Herald
Editorial Department
P.O. Box 688
Dubuque, IA 52004-0688
RE: Town Clock Plaza
Dear Editor:
I was about ready to quit the battle to save the Town Clock Plaza. But on
the first day of spring, I looked down the plaza from 9th street. I saw
the beauty of the trees, still in their winter slumber. I saw the Town
Clock rising as a sentinel of time, not just as to the hour and minute, but
of ages past. Then I thought of the chain saws doing their dastardly
deedS~ late at' ~igh~, 'iso no'one can be disturbed by their wholesal~
d~struc~zon, ~Yesi th~~ t'reeS seem sbmewhat out of ~lAc~ Su~rounded~ b~
cement add; tile~~ B~{~{6r ~he Pe~ople who wdrk in ~khe TOwn c~i~¢k ~laz~ ~
p~0Vides a~ali/~J~te'~b~::~heI b~a~'y ~fid serenity which tr~s' and flow~
can bring even if confined to concrete and brick canyons. .
I don't a6~demn those ~faw business PerSons, who in their myopic vision
believe that destroying the plaza (a/k/a "opening the plaza") will bring
downtown renewed commercial vigor. I don't blame the city council members,
who for one reason or another have been blind to the wishes of the vast
majority of citizens. No~ I blame those people, who treasure and absorb
the beauty of the plaza, but have done nothing to try to save it.
Its not to late, let the
preserved.
City of Dubuque know that you want the plaza
There is a third alternative, i__e spending about one half of the 3.5 million
dollars and doing necessary walkway and cosmetic work. This does not mean
a wholesale cutting down of the trees and replacing them with dwarf-like
more environmentally correct plants.
The Telegraph Herald's recent Public change of opinion on the issue
demonstrates the same pragmatic environmentally asensitive attitude that
seems to be the mantra of those who seem to worship the almighty dollar.
Finally,~ -f~ th0s~ c°mmer~ialbusinesses ~h0' ~
destruction ~ the plaza~if. you'~thimk your business is.:pb'0r ~0'~:j~St:~ait
u~tii~ t~'~f~plaza ~{s torn ~ for month after month like 8th"street'w~S
m~ we!l ask yourselves then, What ha~e we wrOth?
Telegraph Herald
Editorial Department
Page 2
March 21, 2001
Contact the City Council and Mayor and ask them to consider the third
alternative, ie spending about one half the 3.5 million dollars to preserve
and restore the Town Clock Plaza.
Yours truly,
DWL:Iak
cc: Mayor Terry Duggan and
City Council
David W. Leifker