Neighborhood priorities: potholes vs. bicycle patrols

We live in a nice neighborhood of Managua – it actually has a neighborhood association. Even though the house is rented by the Embassy, we got a letter from the association asking for input on next year’s priorities. The list paints a picture of life in our little area of the city: potholes, grazing cows and scrap-metal scavengers existing among the high-walled houses. I’ve translated the letter below. All parentheses are in the original letter.

Dear Neighbors:

Greetings. This letter is to request your suggestions for the projects we will implement this year. We want to know which ones are your priorities. Below we present to you a series of ideas, we hope you will provide us with your opinions and suggestions:

1. Construction of a drainage canal outside of the neighborhood (the pond that we suffer through every rainy season)
2. Contracting two men on a bicycle to ride around the neighborhood and confront any suspicious group (or person); it is worth mentioning that we did this in December and we believe that it worked somewhat because there were fewer robberies.  At the same time, these men on a bicycle will not allow the cart-pullers to enter (unfortunately we have proof that they rob everything and throw trash in any vacant lot), the scrap-metal collection trucks, and cows.
3. Paint and put signage on the streets.
4. Light the booth at the entrance with a lamppost.
5. Replace the “don’t throw trash” signs (the cart-pullers have robbed them).
6. Maintain the roads (cover potholes).

These are some ideas; but we need to know, in addition to the street cleaning, what you want to invest your dues in. We will let you know the cost of each project.

Thank you

The Management

Of the list, my vote is for number 1. There is a strip of road right outside of the neighborhood that is either a disastrous series of craters and bumps during the dry season or a small lake during the rainy season.  I think the use of “pond” in the letter above was quite generous. The cows don’t bother me.

A neighborhood cow grazing across the street.