Sue Moreno: City needs to clean up mess

We've had a lot of publicity lately about UC Merced and the impact and importance of its presence in our community.

My concern is the image our city is projecting. Specifically the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 16th Street, across from KFC -- the abandoned furniture place.

How can the city allow that trash to be there for months and months. That street is a main thoroughfare leading directly into the lovely downtown we want to promote.

Not only is it trashy to look at, it is hazardous. I'm sure there are maggots and mice living in it.

And the worst part is that a homeless man sleeps there! It is totally disgusting and I would like to see code enforcement or whomever else is responsible see to it that it is cleaned up and stays that way.

And the homeless man needs to find another place to live.

So if Merced (and particularly downtown Merced) is concerned about image and attracting students and visiting families to that area, then it's time to clean up that disgusting mess.

SUE MORENO

Merced