Elaine Valladao commutes to Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla five days a week for work. Her evening drive involves leaving Highway 99 at R Street, then traveling home along Highway 140.
She e-mailed Tip List a week ago about the state of the plants on the freeway berms between V and R streets along Highway 99, which were turning into somewhat of an eyesore.
In the spring, the rosebushes and plants along the freeway looked manicured and verdant, she said. But as the weather started to heat up, the plants began to dry. Weeds shot up.
"The berm next to the frontage road that goes along Costco, most of the bushes have died from lack of water," she said in her e-mail. "The beautiful roses and bushes they've planted at the intersection of V and 13th streets are taken over by weeds, and now look to be suffering from lack of water."
I called Valladao at work to talk more about the situation along Highway 99.
"We are trying to boost Merced's appeal, and it doesn't look good to have weeds higher than the rosebushes," she said. "(The plants) were put there for people to enjoy. Why are they doing (this) if they can't maintain what they are putting in?"
It's a waste to spend money on plants and then not water them, she added.
Tip List went out to the areas Valladao mentioned, and, sure enough, many of the rosebushes and other plants were turning brown. Waist-high and neck-high weeds intermixed with semidry rosebushes at the island near the southbound Highway 99 V Street offramp and along the berms between V and R streets.
I called Merced Public Works to find out who's responsible for the maintenance of the plants along the berms.
The city said Caltrans owns the property, so the state agency is responsible for watering and weeding the plants.
I called Caltrans and talked to spokeswoman Zelie Nogueira about the plants. She said the plants are getting watered regularly; however, the heat has caused some plants to brown.
Nogueira said a landscaping crew is scheduled to come in two weeks to weed the hillside.
Maintaining the berms is somewhat of a Catch-22 because the more you water plants, the more weeds grow, she said.
"Our first priority is the roadway and making sure it's operational and that traffic is flowing," she added.
What's wrong: Rose bushes and other plants along the north and south sides of the Highway 99 berm between V and R streets are in need of water and weeding.
Who's responsible: Caltrans owns the property, so Caltrans workers are responsible for the condition of the plants.
What's being done: The plants are being watered. The heat has made it tough for the plants to stay green. The weeds will be tended to in a few weeks.
Tip off the Tip List!
If you see something broken or in need of repair in your neighborhood, call the Sun-Star Tip List reporter, Jamie Oppenheim, with your tips at (209) 385-2407 or e-mail joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com.
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