I read with interest The Sun Journal’s article, “Walker touts clean sidewalks” (Dec. 19) regarding Nano Zachary and pedestrians needing a break in Lewiston. Some of us in Auburn had already cleaned our sidewalks by Friday night, as we know that quite a few people walk on Court Street.

But the city of Auburn will do our sidewalks also, just not right away. First, it must rain a little to put a crust on the snow. Then wait one-and-a-half days. By that time, the rain has frozen the snow into blocks of ice. Then the sidewalk plow comes through. The sidewalk snowblower cannot be used as the snow is now ice. The sidewalk plow’s results are reminiscent of the Khumbu Icefall at the base of Mount Everest: large chunks of unstable ice waiting to sprain the ankle of an unsuspecting pedestrian.

The sidewalk plow does its job of pushing the snow and ice back into the street, and then the street plow comes back and pushes the mess back to cover the sidewalks. I guess that’s to ensure that both drivers are kept employed, or maybe they don’t like each other.

I trust if my property taxes go up, that public works will improve. No, I won’t go there, because services won’t get better as more businesses are coming into the area that will need tax breaks.

Alan Elze, Auburn