web1_AP18196641434093.jpg

Young, joyful France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup

web1_120857769-b55cb71ea3774018b7b51b901c46b031.jpg

Police officer, bystander die from gunshot wounds

<p>There was a little bit of dust-up last week over the condition of the River Common park.</p><p>Luzerne County Councilman Harry Haas, according to Jen Learn-Andes&#8217; story, said he is still receiving complaints about the appearance of the property.</p><p>It&#8217;s in nowhere near as good as shape as the lawn at the adjacent Luzerne County Courthouse.</p><p>Landscaping upgrades there have made the courthouse lawn &#8220;look like a golf course,&#8221; according to Lean-Andes&#8217; story.</p><p>Residents have complained that the River Common, a park sandwiched between River Street and the Susquehanna River that runs from the courthouse to the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center, isn&#8217;t nearly as nicely maintained, Haas said.</p><p>Those complaints have centered around patches of missing mulch and other maintenance concerns, Haas told his council colleagues.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;d like to see that be on par with the county courthouse grounds,&#8221; Haas said of the River Common.</p><p>Sure, it might be nice to have the park maintained to that quality, but we also believe that those are complaining about a few weeds here and there are missing the point.</p><p>The park offers a myriad of recreational opportunities for area residents.</p><p>Joggers, walkers and cyclists can combine the River Common with the rest of the levee system to have miles of routes to use without ever having to cross a street.</p><p>Just last Wednesday, the Gaslight Theater Company presented a production of Shakespeare&#8217;s &#8220;Taming of the Shrew&#8221; in the Northampton Street amphitheater, and the same area is used for a weekly free yoga class each Saturday throughout the summer.</p><p>The park has also hosted Riverfest events and food truck festivals.</p><p>It&#8217;s a great place just to spend a day in the sun and watch the river go by.</p><p>A little unevenly mowed grass wouldn&#8217;t lessen the enjoyment of any of these activities, unless a person is just looking for a reason to complain.</p><p>And, to be quite honest, we think a perfectly manicured lawn would look just a little out of place next to the Susquehanna&#8217;s natural beauty.</p><p>We do expect the county to repair the damage done by the winter&#8217;s ice jam.</p><p>But other than that, how about everyone stop complaining about a few weeds and just enjoy what truly is a gem of downtown Wilkes-Barre.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>&#8211; Times Leader</em></p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071218TamingoftheShrew2.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Just last week, a the River Common park hosted a performance of &#8220;The Taming of the Shrew.&#8221; </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071218TamingoftheShrew2.cmyk_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Just last week, a the River Common park hosted a performance of &#8220;The Taming of the Shrew.&#8221; </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our view: A few weeds don’t mar beauty of River Common