I'll never forget the first and last time I drove on the shore of Salton City and discovered what a wasteland it was. How depressing and disheartening! How could a community let that happen to itself?

Unfortunately, the answer is all too obvious. In lieu of an elected government to administer municipal facilities, the citizens themselves must find ways to obtain the funds necessary to pay for public restrooms, trash removal and maintenance of public parks and schools.

In most unincorporated towns, concerned groups volunteer their time to provide these necessities. Over time, new ones as well as donors and sponsors replace these volunteers. What would you think if you walked down to Christmas Circle and found the bathrooms closed and filthy, the trash cans full to overflowing and the grass and trees brown and dying? We will explore these questions and your feelings about them in future issues.