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Each time I pass a certain place, I can't help but wonder what happened. There's an abandoned homestead along Dallas Pike Road in Ohio County that could serve as a backdrop for a modern horror movie.
On this piece of property is a passel of junk. However, it's the old house there that keeps trying my curiosity. It is a multiple-storied structure with numerous windows. It's those windows that make me think of a scary movie. There are ragged, torn and discolored curtains hanging out of those windows. They wave a spooky greeting when the wind blows. I believe there are signs of discarded toys and other items in the yard.
My sensibility tells me that there could be many reasons for a once-occupied home such as this one to fall into such a state. People lose jobs, move away or fall on hard times. Property owners die and no heirs are found to claim what's left behind. Sometimes no one is at fault. It just sort of happens.
All across the Ohio Valley, wrecking balls are bringing down dilapidated buildings. Some were family homes.
Others once housed productive businesses that have since outlived their necessity. You can't drive down a street in any city or county where you won't see the lots now vacant from their previous tenants.
This is the time of year that cities and towns utilize funds to remove blighted properties when no one else will take responsibility for their removal. With a bit of luck and legal wrangling, money spent on such work will be recovered. Yet, often it's the taxpayers who pay the bill. Is it fair? Not always, but it is a necessary evil to keep neighborhoods safe and healthy.
On the opposite end of this topic, the Ohio Valley is home to some of the most majestic and beautifully kept properties in this country.
We recently took a "Sunday drive" and visited some streets and roads off the beaten path. It's safe to say we discovered how the "other half" lives.
We saw some breathtakingly beautiful homes with gardens and ponds that included fountains and lush greenery.
We took advantage of a few dry, warm days last week and did our part to beautify America.
We may not have a governor's driveway or exotic plants in the garden, but we are enjoying the snapdragons and impatiens as they take root.
As summer approaches, the garden centers are bustling with folks looking to add to their landscapes with eye-catching flowers and shrubs. Our parks are beckoning us to come enjoy their spring blooms and the simple beauty of the season.
Let's hope that all those empty lots around our towns will be renewed and repurposed in ways the next generation will enjoy -- with or without flowers.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.