Our View
By HDN Editorial Board
The annual Havre Pride clean up went on Saturday, April 28, with businesses and community members working to clean up the dirt and trash in the city.
We at The Havre Daily News applaud everyone who organized and participated in the event. It shows a concern and pride in the city that benefits all.
There are some areas, however, that would be difficult to clean completely. For example, it would take a lot of effort to get all of the dirt off of an unpaved street.
The first paved road didn't appear in Montana until 1925. Apparently, Havre is still hanging on to the tradition before that time, with several unpaved streets still inside or near the city.
People driving by or going to businesses or homes on these streets, such as First and Third avenues west between First and Second streets or 17th Avenue where it is intersected by First Street North or First Street North itself probably notice the antique nature of the streets. They might wonder how such modern homes and businesses came to be on streets that seem to remain in the 19th century.
Dirt streets in and near the city are an eyesore, a dust trap, and create mud and potholes with the addition of a little precipitation. It would be to the benefit of the people in Havre and to the city as a whole if these remaining relics were paved over.
Many speak of economic development in the area, attracting new people and businesses to the city. Many efforts are being made to make the area more attractive including Havre PRIDE itself, which makes the community more attractive while making it more pleasant and livable for the people already in it. Other efforts include the proposed downtown park and park south of the hospital.
We at The Havre Daily News believe it is time to do all that is possible to pave all of the streets of Havre and bring them into the 21st Century, along with all of the other efforts to improve and modernize the city.
