Donald Dean: Junkyards are dangerous and ugly

Re “Firefighters battle blaze twice at wrecking yard” (Page 3A, April 21): The recent fire at the auto wrecking yard should be a warning to the cities of Modesto and Ceres. There have been numerous costly, and sometimes tragic, fires at wrecking yards across the nation. Not to mention the disgusting scenery along the highways (like we have as Highway 99 courses through Modesto).

If there isn’t there should be a code that prevents these dangerous eyesores. I am sure there would be few that would disagree with such an ordinance. I know it has been the subject of many discussions at city council meetings, but no one has the guts to take action. Like so many issues that seem important for a moment in time, it takes a real tragedy to stir concern to address it. It would be reassuring to see proactive movement rather than reactive among our government leaders. Let’s tell the junkyard owners to move.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Donald Dean: Junkyards are dangerous and ugly."